Doom

# Doom — AMD Ryzen 5 5600F + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti delivers playable performance in Doom across most tested configurations, though the combination ranks near the bottom of the database at position 2512 out of 2930 tested combos. The 6-core, 12-thread Zen 3 processor with a 3.00 GHz base and 4.00 GHz boost clock provides strong CPU headroom, while the 6 GB GDDR6 GPU with 1536 shading units becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions and settings. Measured frame rates range from a minimum of 31 FPS at 4K Ultra to a maximum of 148 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating that resolution and quality presets dramatically alter the experience.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K reveals a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 109 at 1920x1080 to 70 at 2560x1440 — a 35.8% reduction — and then to 38 at 3840x2160, which represents a 65.1% drop from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline suggests the GTX 1660 Ti's pixel throughput, rated at 84.96 GPixel/s, becomes the limiting factor as pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. At Low, the average goes from 148 FPS at 1080p to 96 FPS at 1440p (35.1% drop) and 52 FPS at 4K (64.9% drop). Medium settings show 129 FPS at 1080p, 83 FPS at 1440p (35.7% drop), and 45 FPS at 4K (65.1% drop). Ultra settings produce 89 FPS at 1080p, 57 FPS at 1440p (36.0% drop), and 31 FPS at 4K (65.2% drop). The near-identical percentage drops across all presets indicate that resolution scaling is uniform — the GPU's rendering workload scales linearly with pixel count, and the relative performance penalty of higher resolutions is independent of quality settings.

The 4K results are notably marginal. At Ultra, the 31 FPS average falls below the threshold for smooth gameplay in a fast-paced FPS title. Even at Low, 4K only reaches 52 FPS, which is playable but far from ideal. The 2560x1440 results offer a middle ground: 57 FPS at Ultra and 96 FPS at Low provide viable options for users with 1440p displays. At 1080p, all settings except Ultra exceed 100 FPS, with Low reaching 148 FPS — sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors.

The data indicates that the GTX 1660 Ti's memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s and 192-bit bus width are adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K workload exceeds the GPU's practical capability. The CPU, with its 32 MB shared L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth, does not appear to bottleneck at any tested resolution, as the frame rate scaling closely tracks pixel count increases.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, built on the Turing architecture with a 12 nm process, is the dominant factor in these results. Its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves sufficient for 1080p and 1440p but strained at 4K. The GPU's base clock of 1500 MHz and boost clock of 1770 MHz, combined with 1536 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units, deliver a texture rate of 169.9 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 84.96 GPixel/s.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 5.437 TFLOPS places it in the lower-midrange tier, consistent with its 41st percentile ranking among all GPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score of 7723 sits close to rivals: the AMD Radeon 540 scores 7673 (0.7% higher), the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 scores 7580 (1.9% higher), and the AMD Radeon R7 250 scores 7557 (2.2% higher). The Intel Arc A310 scores 7550, which is 2.3% above the GTX 1660 Ti's score — though "above" here means the GTX 1660 Ti's score is slightly lower than these rivals, indicating tight competition in this performance bracket.

In Doom specifically, the GPU's VRAM capacity plays a role at higher settings. The 6 GB allocation is adequate for 1080p and 1440p presets, as evidenced by the playable frame rates, but 4K Ultra likely taxes the memory subsystem — the 31 FPS result suggests the GPU is both bandwidth-limited and potentially VRAM-limited. The memory clock of 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective) provides sufficient bandwidth for 1080p gaming but cannot sustain high frame rates at 4K.

The GPU's DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4 API support align well with Doom's engine requirements, and the 1x HDMI 2.0 and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs support modern displays. The 120 W TDP and suggested 300 W PSU indicate modest power requirements, though these figures do not directly influence measured performance.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F provides substantial processing headroom that prevents CPU bottlenecking in Doom. With 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer codename) on a 7 nm TSMC process, the processor operates at a 3.00 GHz base clock and 4.00 GHz boost clock. The 32 MB shared L3 cache and 4,150 million transistors on a 74 mm² die contribute to strong single-thread and multi-thread performance.

The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 2872 and multi-thread score of 19236 place it in the 85th percentile among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 36945 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals: the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 scores 36938 (0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 37018 (-0.2% delta), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37093 (-0.4% delta), and the Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37112 (-0.5% delta). These negligible deltas indicate the 5600F sits in a tightly contested performance cluster.

In Doom, the CPU's capabilities exceed what the GTX 1660 Ti can utilize. The 4.00 GHz boost clock and 12 threads handle the game's simulation and AI workloads without becoming the limiting factor. The consistent frame rate scaling with resolution — rather than a plateau that would indicate CPU limitation — confirms the CPU is not the bottleneck. Even at 1080p Low where the GPU produces 148 FPS, the CPU maintains adequate throughput to avoid capping performance.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and DDR4 dual-channel memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth provide sufficient memory bandwidth for the game's data streaming. The 20 PCIe Gen 4 lanes from the CPU ensure the GPU's PCIe 3.0 x16 interface does not constrain data transfer, though the GPU itself is limited to PCIe 3.0. The 5600F's active production status and 2025 release date indicate it is a current-generation budget-oriented processor, though its performance characteristics align with mid-range Zen 3 parts.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 5 5600F and GTX 1660 Ti ranks 2512 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the bottom 14.3% of all system configurations. This low ranking reflects the GPU's modest performance tier rather than any CPU deficiency — the processor's 85th percentile ranking among CPUs contrasts sharply with the GPU's 41st percentile among GPUs.

The ranking implies that many tested combos achieve higher frame rates in Doom, likely due to more powerful GPUs paired with comparable or weaker CPUs. The GTX 1660 Ti's nearest GPU rivals — the Radeon 540, Radeon Pro WX 3100, Radeon R7 250, and Arc A310 — all have similar average scores, suggesting the GTX 1660 Ti is at the entry level of discrete GPUs in this database. When paired with a high-performing CPU like the 5600F, the GPU becomes the definitive performance ceiling.

Despite the low overall ranking, the combo delivers acceptable performance in absolute terms at 1080p and 1440p. The 2512nd position out of 2930 means a substantial majority of tested systems outperform this configuration, but the measured FPS data shows that Doom remains playable at most settings below 4K. The ranking should be interpreted as evidence of the GPU's tier position rather than a judgment on the combo's suitability for this specific game at reasonable settings.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 provides the highest frame rates, with averages ranging from 89 FPS at Ultra to 148 FPS at Low. At 2560x1440, averages range from 57 FPS at Ultra to 96 FPS at Low, while 3840x2160 yields 31-52 FPS depending on settings.

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

A: At 4K, the average FPS is 38 at High, 45 at Medium, 52 at Low, and 31 at Ultra. These results are below the 60 FPS threshold typically desired for FPS games, so 4K is only marginally playable at Low settings.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 Ti compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 1660 Ti has an average benchmark score of 7723. The AMD Radeon 540 scores 7673 (0.7% higher), the Radeon Pro WX 3100 scores 7580 (1.9% higher), the Radeon R7 250 scores 7557 (2.2% higher), and the Intel Arc A310 scores 7550 (2.3% higher).

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600F a bottleneck for the GTX 1660 Ti?

A: No. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking and 2872 single-thread score far exceed the GPU's 41st percentile ranking. The frame rate scaling with resolution indicates the GPU is the limiting component, not the CPU.

Q: What settings provide the best balance of quality and performance at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings deliver 83 FPS average with a minimum of 71 FPS, while High settings deliver 70 FPS. Low settings reach 96 FPS. Ultra drops to 57 FPS, making Medium or High the recommended presets.

Q: How does this combo's ranking reflect its overall performance?

A: The combo ranks 2512 out of 2930 tested configurations, placing it in the bottom 14.3% of systems. This ranking is primarily due to the GPU's modest tier, as the CPU ranks in the 85th percentile among all processors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 148 FPS, Medium produces 129 FPS with a minimum of 109 and maximum of 148, High produces 109 FPS, and Ultra produces 89 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 59 FPS, representing a 39.9% reduction in performance from the lowest to highest quality preset.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 96 FPS at Low, 83 FPS at Medium (minimum 71, maximum 96), 70 FPS at High, and 57 FPS at Ultra. The reduction from Low to Ultra is 39 FPS, or 40.6% — a slightly larger percentage drop than at 1080p, indicating the GPU is under more stress at higher resolution.

At 3840x2160, the averages drop to 52 FPS at Low, 45 FPS at Medium (minimum 38, maximum 52), 38 FPS at High, and 31 FPS at Ultra. The Low-to-Ultra reduction is 21 FPS, or 40.4%, maintaining the consistent pattern of quality preset impact across resolutions.

The minimum FPS values are only provided for Medium settings at each resolution: 109 FPS at 1080p, 71 FPS at 1440p, and 38 FPS at 4K. These minima are 84.5%, 85.5%, and 84.4% of their respective averages, indicating reasonably stable frame pacing without severe dips. The maximum values for Medium settings match the Low preset averages at each resolution — 148 at 1080p, 96 at 1440p, and 52 at 4K — suggesting that Medium occasionally reaches the same performance as Low when scene complexity is low.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080 displays, the High preset at 109 FPS average provides an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, comfortably exceeding the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra at 89 FPS remains playable and offers maximum visual fidelity, while Medium at 129 FPS and Low at 148 FPS cater to high-refresh-rate monitors. The data supports High as the recommended preset for most users, with Ultra reserved for those prioritizing image quality over frame rate.

For 2560x1440, Medium at 83 FPS average with a 71 FPS minimum provides smooth gameplay with good visual quality. High at 70 FPS is also viable, though it leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. Low at 96 FPS suits competitive play, while Ultra at 57 FPS dips below the 60 FPS ideal and may cause noticeable stuttering in fast-paced action. Medium is the recommended preset for 1440p, as it maintains frame rates above 70 FPS while preserving acceptable visual detail.

For 3840x2160, none of the presets achieve 60 FPS. Low at 52 FPS is the only configurable option that approaches playable territory, while Medium at 45 FPS, High at 38 FPS, and Ultra at 31 FPS are all below the threshold for smooth gameplay. Users with 4K displays should either reduce resolution to 1440p or accept the Low preset's 52 FPS average, which may be tolerable for slower-paced sections but is not recommended for competitive play. The data indicates that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo in Doom, and the best experience will be achieved at 1080p or 1440p with Medium or High settings.