Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT pairs a six-core, 12-thread Zen 3 design with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. This configuration places the processor in the 78th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20740. The data shows it trading blows with the Intel Core i7-10700, which scores an identical 20746, and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, which sits just 0.3% higher at 20680. For a game like Doom, which is not particularly thread-hungry, the single-thread performance is the more critical metric; the CPU delivers a 3dmark single-thread score of 913 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2438. These figures indicate strong per-core throughput, which is essential for maintaining high frame rates in an FPS where the engine’s simulation and draw call submission often hinge on one or two threads.

The 5600GT’s 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth are adequate for feeding the GPU in this title. The processor’s 65W TDP and unlocked multiplier suggest it can sustain its boost clocks under load without thermal throttling, provided the system has a capable air cooler. In the measured results, the CPU does not appear to be the bottleneck at any resolution, as frame rates scale consistently with GPU load. The chip’s Cinebench R20 multicore score of 7254 and Passmark multithread score of 20325 show it has ample headroom for background tasks, but in Doom’s case, the data indicates that the GPU is the primary driver of performance differences across settings and resolutions.

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

The Ryzen 5 5600GT’s six cores and 12 threads are more than sufficient for Doom’s engine, which was designed to scale well on quad-core processors from its 2016 release era. The boost clock of 4.60 GHz ensures that the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s frame output, especially at lower resolutions where draw call overhead becomes relatively more significant. The benchmark data supports this interpretation: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 103.6 FPS, which is the highest recorded in this dataset, indicating that the CPU is not limiting the frame rate even in the least GPU-intensive configuration. If the processor were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS regardless of how much the GPU load is reduced, but the data shows a consistent increase from Ultra to Low at every resolution.

The processor’s position relative to its rivals further confirms its capability. The 5600GT is effectively tied with the Intel Core i7-10700 (0% delta) and sits within 0.3% of the Ryzen 5 5600X. This means that in CPU-bound scenarios, swapping this chip for a more expensive or newer part would yield negligible gains in Doom. The 3dmark 16-thread score of 5523 and max-thread score of 5554 show that the CPU’s multi-threaded performance is not a weak link, but the game’s frame pacing is more dependent on the GPU. The data suggests that the 5600GT is a competent partner for the RX 580, providing enough compute headroom to avoid stutter or frame drops that could arise from CPU limitations, particularly when navigating the game’s large, open combat arenas.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 580 with its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for texturing and fill-rate-heavy scenes typical of Doom’s hellish environments. The GPU’s base clock of 1257 MHz and boost clock of 1340 MHz, combined with 2304 shading units, deliver a raw FP32 throughput of 6.175 TFLOPS. This places the RX 580 in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13559. The nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (0% delta) and the GTX 950 (0.1% higher), which are both older architectures, indicating that the RX 580 remains competitive at its performance tier but is far from modern high-end territory.

The GPU’s VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor in these tests, as Doom at 4K Ultra uses less than 8 GB, and the measured frame rates show a clear dependence on the GPU’s compute and memory subsystem rather than capacity. The pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s and texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s are the key specs that determine performance at higher resolutions. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the system drops to 21.9 FPS, which is a 79% reduction from the 1080p Low result of 103.6 FPS. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU that is overwhelmed by the pixel count and shader complexity at 4K, rather than a CPU bottleneck. The RX 580’s GCN 4.0 architecture, while supporting DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, does not have the raw throughput to maintain playable frame rates at 4K in this title, regardless of the CPU sitting behind it.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound performance as resolution increases. At 1080p High, the system averages 77.7 FPS, which drops to 50.2 FPS at 1440p High, a 35% reduction. Moving to 4K High, the average falls to 28.4 FPS, which is another 43% drop from the 1440p result. This scaling is nearly linear with the increase in pixel count, which is a strong indicator that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the frame rate to remain relatively flat as resolution increases, since the CPU workload does not scale with pixel count. The data does not show this; instead, the frame rate drops consistently with every step up in resolution.

Comparing the Low settings across resolutions further confirms this analysis. At 1080p Low, the system hits 103.6 FPS, but at 1440p Low it falls to 66.3 FPS, and at 4K Low it drops to 38.7 FPS. The fact that even the lowest settings cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K indicates that the RX 580’s memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are simply insufficient for that resolution. Conversely, at 1080p, the jump from Ultra (63.5 FPS) to Low (103.6 FPS) represents a 63% performance gain, showing that the GPU has headroom to spare when the render load is reduced. This pattern suggests that the Ryzen 5 5600GT is more than capable of feeding the RX 580 at 1080p, but the GPU becomes the unequivocal bottleneck at 1440p and 4K.

FAQ

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this system for Doom?

A: The benchmark data shows the GPU is the primary limiting component at all resolutions. The FPS drops consistently from 103.6 (1080p Low) to 38.7 (4K Low), which is a 63% reduction that scales with pixel count, indicating the RX 580 is reaching its compute and bandwidth limits.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve 60 FPS?

A: At 1080p, all settings except Ultra (63.5 FPS) exceed 60 FPS, with High at 77.7 FPS and Medium at 89.6 FPS. At 1440p, only Low (66.3 FPS) and Medium (58.6 FPS) approach or exceed 60 FPS, while 4K never reaches 40 FPS in any setting.

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

A: The 5600GT is statistically tied with the Intel Core i7-10700 (0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X (0.3% higher) in average benchmark score. This means in Doom, any of these processors would deliver nearly identical frame pacing when paired with the same GPU.

Q: Does the RX 580’s 8 GB VRAM cause any issues in Doom?

A: The data shows no indication of VRAM capacity being a problem. The frame rates at 4K Ultra (21.9 FPS) are low due to compute limits, but there is no evidence of texture swapping or stutter that would indicate running out of memory, as the game’s requirements are well within 8 GB.

Q: Why is the 4K Ultra setting only getting 21.9 FPS?

A: This is a direct result of the RX 580’s pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s and FP32 throughput of 6.175 TFLOPS being insufficient for the 8.3 million pixels at 4K. The GPU’s shader units are simply overwhelmed by the combined resolution and high-detail effects.

Q: Can the CPU handle the game’s multi-threaded workload?

A: Yes. The 5600GT’s 3dmark max-thread score of 5554 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 17272 show ample headroom. The game’s engine does not stress all 12 threads, and the single-thread score of 913 in 3dmark is sufficient for Doom’s frame logic.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy for the best experience across resolutions. At 1080p, the High preset is the optimal choice, delivering 77.7 FPS while maintaining visual fidelity that is only marginally below Ultra. The jump from High to Ultra costs 14.2 FPS (77.7 to 63.5), a drop of 18%, which is not worth the subtle shadow and texture improvements in a fast-paced FPS. For players prioritizing smoothness, Medium at 89.6 FPS is a strong alternative, but High offers a better balance of image quality and responsiveness, staying well above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 1440p, the situation becomes more constrained. The High preset yields 50.2 FPS, which is below the ideal 60 FPS target for competitive play. The Medium preset at 58.6 FPS is closer but still not fully smooth. The data suggests that Low at 66.3 FPS is the only preset that consistently exceeds 60 FPS at this resolution, making it the recommended setting for a playable experience without significant frame pacing issues. For 4K, no preset achieves a playable frame rate, with the highest being Low at 38.7 FPS and the lowest being Ultra at 21.9 FPS. The data indicates that the RX 580 is not suited for 4K in this title, and users should stick to 1080p or 1440p with reduced settings. The Ultra preset is never recommended, as it provides the lowest frame rates at every resolution, including a 63.5 FPS result at 1080p that is only marginally above the High preset’s 77.7 FPS, making it a poor trade-off for the additional GPU load.