Doom

The pairing of AMD’s Ryzen 5 5600GT processor with NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card in Doom presents a fascinating study in system balance. The GTX 1070 is a venerable Pascal-era GPU, while the 5600GT is a modern Zen 3 chip with capable integrated graphics. The measured data reveals a combination that scales predictably with resolution, but the specific scores raise questions about where the true bottleneck lies. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, contextualizes the performance against other tested combinations, and examines the individual contributions of the CPU and GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K shows a classic GPU-bound scenario, but the magnitude of the performance drop is telling. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 116 FPS. Moving to 1440p, that figure drops to 75 FPS, a significant reduction of 41 FPS. The jump to 4K is even more punishing, with the average falling to 41 FPS. This pattern—where each step up in resolution exacts a heavy toll—strongly indicates that the GeForce GTX 1070 is the limiting component in this configuration.

However, the data is not entirely uniform. At Low settings, the scaling is sharper. The combo produces 158 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 102 FPS at 1440p, and then to 55 FPS at 4K. The relative drop from 1440p to 4K is about 46%, which is steeper than the 45% drop seen at High settings between the same resolutions. This suggests that at lower settings, the GPU's raw pixel-pushing power is even more critical, as the CPU has less work to do in terms of game logic, allowing the GPU to become the sole constraint.

The gap between High and Ultra settings also highlights the GPU's strain. At 1080p, the difference is 21 FPS (116 vs. 95), but at 4K, the difference narrows to just 8 FPS (41 vs. 33). This convergence at higher resolutions implies that the GPU is hitting a performance ceiling; the extra load from Ultra settings cannot be compensated for when the pixel count is already overwhelming the GTX 1070. The data suggests that for a smooth experience, this combination is best suited to 1080p, where it can maintain high frame rates, while 4K is only playable at lower settings.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Doom?*

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1080p is the optimal resolution. At High settings, it achieves 116 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. 1440p is also viable at 75 FPS on High, but 4K dips to 41 FPS, which may be too low for fast-paced action.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1440p?

A: The drop from High to Ultra at 2560x1440 is significant. The average FPS falls from 75 to 61, a reduction of 14 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset’s additional graphical demands notably tax the GTX 1070, pushing it closer to the edge of playability.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600GT holding back the GTX 1070?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The 5600GT has a strong multi-threaded score of 17,272 in Cinebench R23 and a high 74th percentile ranking among all CPUs. Since the FPS scales so dramatically with resolution, it is clear the GPU's performance ceiling is being reached before the CPU's.

Q: What are the minimum FPS expectations at Medium settings?

A: The measured data provides minimum FPS values for Medium settings. At 1080p, the minimum FPS is 117, while at 1440p it is 75, and at 4K it is 41. These minimums are reassuringly close to the average FPS, indicating a stable frame pacing without severe stutters.

Q: How does this combo's performance rank against other tested systems?

A: The combination ranks 3068th out of 3712 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the lower percentile of systems, which aligns with the aging GTX 1070's 47th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The CPU, however, ranks much higher, reinforcing the idea that the graphics card is the limiting factor.

Q: How much FPS do you gain from Low to Medium settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, moving from Low to Medium settings results in a 13 FPS drop, from 102 to 89. This shows that the Medium preset is a reasonable compromise, offering better visuals for a relatively modest performance cost.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific pairing of the Ryzen 5 5600GT and GTX 1070 achieves a rank of 3068 out of 3712 combos for Doom. This places it in the bottom 17% of all tested systems. This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU. The GTX 1070 holds a 47th percentile ranking among all GPUs, placing it squarely in the mid-range of graphics cards. Its average benchmark score of 9,780 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the AMD FirePro W5000, which has an average score of 9,803 (a -0.2% delta).

Conversely, the Ryzen 5 5600GT is a much stronger performer. It sits in the 74th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20,733. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i5-12490F, scores 20,802, putting the 5600GT just 0.3% behind. This discrepancy in percentile rankings clearly illustrates that the system's overall rank is dragged down by the graphics card.

The data implies that if this CPU were paired with a more modern GPU, the combo’s rank would be dramatically higher. The CPU's high benchmark scores suggest it has ample headroom to feed a faster graphics card. As it stands, the combo’s rank in Doom is a direct reflection of the GTX 1070's age and its position as the system's performance bottleneck.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's capabilities across a matrix of settings and resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the combo performs admirably:

• Ultra: 95 FPS average
• High: 116 FPS average
• Medium: 137 FPS average (with a minimum of 117 and maximum of 158)
• Low: 158 FPS average

The 1080p results show a clear hierarchy, with a 63 FPS difference between the lowest and highest presets. The Medium preset’s minimum FPS of 117 is higher than the Ultra preset’s average, showing that even a modest reduction in settings yields a large performance boost.

At 2560x1440, the system begins to show strain:

• Ultra: 61 FPS average
• High: 75 FPS average
• Medium: 89 FPS average (with a minimum of 75 and maximum of 102)
• Low: 102 FPS average

The 1440p data shows that the Ultra preset is the only one to dip below the 60 FPS threshold, making High and Medium the more practical choices for a smooth experience. The Medium preset’s minimum FPS of 75 is still very respectable.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed:

• Ultra: 33 FPS average
• High: 41 FPS average
• Medium: 48 FPS average (with a minimum of 41 and maximum of 55)
• Low: 55 FPS average

The 4K results confirm that this resolution is only playable at the lowest settings. Even at Low, the average FPS is just 55, which is below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset’s minimum of 41 FPS shows that the GTX 1070 is struggling to maintain playable frame rates at this resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the clear performance limiter in this configuration. Its specifications—8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth—are now dated. The GPU's 1,920 shading units and 64 ROPs are not sufficient to handle the demands of 4K resolution in Doom at high settings.

The benchmark data supports this assessment. The GTX 1070's passmark G3D score is 13,498, and its average benchmark score is 9,780, placing it in the 47th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M, have nearly identical scores, confirming its mid-range standing. The GPU's clocks, with a base of 1506 MHz and a boost of 1683 MHz, are relatively low compared to modern cards, further limiting its processing power.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming but may be a limiting factor at 4K with high-resolution textures. The measured FPS at 4K (41 FPS on High) suggests that the GPU's compute power, rather than memory capacity, is the primary constraint. The system’s overall rank in Doom (3068th) is a direct consequence of the GPU's age and performance tier.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT is a modern, capable processor that is not the bottleneck in this system. With 6 cores and 12 threads, a base clock of 3.60 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, it provides ample processing power for gaming. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17,272 and single-core score of 2,438 are strong, and its 74th percentile ranking among all CPUs shows it is a high-performing chip.

The CPU's benchmark scores are closely matched with its nearest rivals. For example, the Intel Core i5-12490F has an average score of 20,802, a mere 0.3% higher than the 5600GT’s 20,733. This indicates that the 5600GT is on par with other mid-to-high-end desktop processors.

In Doom, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The fact that FPS scales so dramatically with resolution—from 158 FPS at 1080p Low to 41 FPS at 4K High—shows that the CPU is not being saturated. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS regardless of resolution. Instead, the continuous drop in FPS as resolution increases points directly to the GPU as the limiting factor. The 5600GT has more than enough headroom to support a more powerful graphics card than the GTX 1070.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the data favors the Medium preset at 1080p. This setting delivers an average of 137 FPS, which is excellent for a fast-paced shooter. Its minimum FPS of 117 is also well above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring a consistently smooth experience without noticeable hitches. The jump from Medium to High costs 21 FPS, which is a significant drop for a subtle visual improvement.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is again the most balanced choice. It averages 89 FPS with a minimum of 75 FPS, providing a very playable experience. The High preset at 75 FPS is also acceptable, but the Medium setting offers more headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 61 FPS is risky, as it could dip below 60 FPS in intense combat situations.

For 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option for playable frame rates, averaging 55 FPS. While this is below the 60 FPS target, it is still a playable experience for many. The Medium preset at 48 FPS is a compromise, but the minimum FPS of 41 makes it less stable. Ultimately, the data suggests that this combo is best enjoyed at 1080p or 1440p on Medium settings, where it can leverage the CPU's power while keeping the GPU within its comfort zone.