Doom

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 3 architecture (codename Vermeer) using TSMC's 7 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, drawing 65 W TDP and fitting the AMD Socket AM4 platform. The CPU features a 32 MB L3 cache, with 64 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core, and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a theoretical bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. It also supports ECC memory and offers PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes from the CPU.

In synthetic CPU benchmarks, the 5600X demonstrates strong single-thread and multithread performance. It scores 917 in 3DMark single-thread, 1793 in 2-thread, 3363 in 4-thread, 4811 in 8-thread, and 5588 in max-thread tests. Cinebench R23 results show 1541 single-core and 11838 multi-core. Geekbench scores are 1989 single-core and 9173 multi-core. PassMark results include 3364 single-thread and 21858 multithread scores. The processor ranks in the 75th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21771.

For Doom, a game released in May 2016, the 5600X's 6 cores and 12 threads are more than adequate for the game's threading model. The game was designed for the multi-core CPUs of its era, and this processor's high single-thread performance (evidenced by the 917 3DMark single-thread score and 1541 Cinebench R23 single-core score) ensures that the game's primary game logic thread runs without bottlenecking. The 12 threads also provide headroom for background tasks and the game's audio/streaming systems.

The measured FPS data for this combo shows that at 1080p Low settings, the average FPS reaches 107, which is likely close to the game's engine limit given the hardware. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 3364 and 3DMark single-thread score of 917 indicate strong per-core performance, which is critical for a game like Doom that relies heavily on a main thread for physics and game state updates. The L3 cache size of 32 MB also helps keep frequently accessed game data close to the cores, reducing memory latency.

At higher resolutions, the CPU's role diminishes as the GPU becomes the limiting factor. However, the fact that the 1080p Low preset achieves 107 FPS while the 1080p Ultra preset drops to 64 FPS suggests that even at 1080p, the Intel Arc B390 GPU is the primary constraint once settings are increased. The CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at lower settings, but the GPU's modest compute capabilities (7.680 TFLOPS FP32) limit frame rates when graphical load increases.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience for this combo. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 107 FPS average, which is the highest measured frame rate for this resolution. The Medium preset drops to 93 FPS, High to 78 FPS, and Ultra to 64 FPS. The delta between Low and Medium is 14 FPS, while the delta between Medium and High is 15 FPS, and between High and Ultra is another 14 FPS. These consistent drops indicate that each settings tier has a meaningful impact on GPU load.

For a fast-paced FPS like Doom, maintaining a high and stable frame rate is crucial for gameplay responsiveness. The 1080p Low preset at 107 FPS provides the smoothest experience, with no min FPS data recorded (suggesting stable performance). The Medium preset at 93 FPS is also playable, but the 14 FPS reduction from Low may be noticeable in intense combat sequences. The High preset at 78 FPS and Ultra at 64 FPS are progressively less ideal for competitive play, though they remain above the 60 FPS threshold for basic playability.

At 1440p, the Low preset delivers 69 FPS, which is still playable. Medium drops to 60 FPS, High to 51 FPS, and Ultra to 41 FPS. The 60 FPS Medium preset provides a balanced experience, but the 41 FPS Ultra preset is below the smoothness threshold for a fast-paced shooter. At 4K, all presets fall below 60 FPS: Low achieves 37 FPS, Medium 33 FPS, High 28 FPS, and Ultra 22 FPS. These frame rates are marginal for a game that benefits from high refresh rates.

The data indicates that the Low preset at 1080p is the recommended configuration for this combo, as it maximizes frame rate and minimizes input latency. If visual quality is prioritized, the Medium preset at 1080p offers a 93 FPS average while still maintaining good responsiveness. At 1440p, the Low preset is the only configuration that consistently exceeds 60 FPS, making it the viable choice for higher-resolution displays. The 4K resolution is not recommended for this combo, as even the Low preset cannot maintain a stable 30 FPS (37 FPS average, but the Medium preset shows a min of 28 FPS).

Resolution Scaling

Examining the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the performance characteristics of this combo across resolutions. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 107 at 1080p to 69 at 1440p, a 35.5% reduction, and then to 37 at 4K, a 46.4% reduction from 1440p. The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 70 FPS, representing a 65.4% decrease. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the number of pixels quadruples from 1080p to 4K, but the frame rate does not drop proportionally due to other bottlenecks.

At Medium settings, the FPS drops from 93 at 1080p to 60 at 1440p (35.5% reduction) and then to 33 at 4K (45% reduction from 1440p). The High settings show 78 FPS at 1080p, 51 at 1440p (34.6% reduction), and 28 at 4K (45.1% reduction). Ultra settings show 64 FPS at 1080p, 41 at 1440p (35.9% reduction), and 22 at 4K (46.3% reduction). The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings presets indicates that the scaling behavior is resolution-driven rather than settings-driven.

The fact that the frame rate drops by roughly one-third when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and then by another 45% when moving from 1440p to 4K, suggests that the Intel Arc B390 GPU is the limiting component at resolutions above 1080p. The GPU's memory is "System Shared" with bandwidth noted as "System Dependent," which means it relies on the CPU's dual-channel DDR4 memory. This shared memory architecture can cause performance degradation at higher resolutions where more memory bandwidth is needed for frame buffers and textures.

At 1080p, the CPU's strong single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 917) may still allow the GPU to be partially utilized, but the GPU's low compute throughput (7.680 TFLOPS FP32) and limited pixel rate (60.00 GPixel/s) become the primary constraints as resolution increases. The 4K results, where even Low settings only achieve 37 FPS, clearly show that this combo is not designed for high-resolution gaming. The data indicates that the sweet spot for this combo is 1080p, where the CPU can help push frame rates to playable levels, while 1440p is marginal and 4K is not viable for smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The measured performance of this AMD Ryzen 5 5600X + Intel Arc B390 combo in Doom places it at rank 2580 out of 2930 tested combos. This puts it in the bottom 12% of all tested configurations, reflecting the GPU's significant limitation in this title. The combo rank of 2580 indicates that the vast majority of other CPU-GPU pairings tested in this game achieve higher frame rates.

The CPU itself ranks in the 75th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21771. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H (avg score 21749, delta 0.1%), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U (avg score 21874, delta -0.5%), Intel Core i7-11700 (avg score 21891, delta -0.5%), and AMD EPYC 9554P (avg score 21899, delta -0.6%). These deltas are all within 0.6%, indicating that the 5600X's CPU performance is comparable to these alternatives. However, this CPU performance is not reflected in the Doom combo rank, which is dragged down by the GPU.

The GPU, in contrast, ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482 based on a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (avg score 1463, delta 1.3%), NVIDIA GeForce 800M (avg score 1460, delta 1.5%), NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (avg score 1446, delta 2.5%), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (avg score 1443, delta 2.7%). These are all entry-level or legacy GPUs, confirming that the Arc B390's performance is at the bottom of the GPU spectrum.

The combination of a 75th-percentile CPU with a 9th-percentile GPU creates a heavily imbalanced system for gaming. The CPU has ample headroom, but the GPU cannot translate that into playable frame rates at higher resolutions or settings. The combo rank of 2580 out of 2930 (12th percentile) aligns closely with the GPU's 9th percentile ranking, confirming that the GPU is the dominant factor in determining this combo's gaming performance. For Doom specifically, this combo is suitable only for 1080p gaming at lower settings, as higher resolutions and settings yield sub-60 FPS results.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1080p is the only resolution where playable frame rates are achievable across most settings. At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 107 FPS, Medium 93 FPS, High 78 FPS, and Ultra 64 FPS. At 1440p, only the Low preset (69 FPS) exceeds 60 FPS, while at 4K, all presets fall below 40 FPS.

Q: Can this combo run Doom at 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: The measured data shows that at 1440p, the Low preset achieves 69 FPS average, which exceeds 60 FPS. The Medium preset achieves exactly 60 FPS average, with a minimum of 51 FPS. The High preset drops to 51 FPS, and Ultra to 41 FPS. So yes, Low and Medium presets at 1440p can maintain 60 FPS on average, but the minimum FPS may dip below that threshold.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X has an average benchmark score of 21771. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H with a score of 21749 (0.1% slower). The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U scores 21874 (0.5% faster), the Intel Core i7-11700 scores 21891 (0.5% faster), and the AMD EPYC 9554P scores 21899 (0.6% faster). All four rivals are within 0.6% of the 5600X's performance.

Q: What is the GPU's performance ranking relative to other GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rivals are all NVIDIA entry-level GPUs: the GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% slower), GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% slower), and GeForce GT 710 (1443, 2.7% slower).

Q: Does the 4K resolution provide any viable settings for this combo?

A: At 4K, the highest average FPS is 37 with the Low preset. The Medium preset averages 33 FPS with a minimum of 28 FPS, High averages 28 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS. None of these configurations reach 60 FPS, and even the 30 FPS threshold is only barely exceeded by the Low preset. The data indicates that 4K gaming is not viable with this combo.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking in Doom?

A: This combo ranks 2580 out of 2930 tested combinations in Doom, placing it in the 12th percentile of all tested combos. This low ranking is primarily due to the GPU's limited performance, as the CPU itself ranks in the 75th percentile among all CPUs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo is presented below, organized by resolution and settings preset.

1080p (1920x1080):

| Settings | Average FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|----------|-------------|---------|---------|

| Low | 107 | — | — |

| Medium | 93 | 79 | 107 |

| High | 78 | — | — |

| Ultra | 64 | — | — |

At 1080p, the Low preset delivers the highest average frame rate at 107 FPS. The Medium preset averages 93 FPS with a recorded minimum of 79 and maximum of 107. High settings drop to 78 FPS, and Ultra to 64 FPS. The frame rate range from Low to Ultra spans 43 FPS, with each settings tier costing approximately 14-15 FPS on average.

1440p (2560x1440):

| Settings | Average FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|----------|-------------|---------|---------|

| Low | 69 | — | — |

| Medium | 60 | 51 | 69 |

| High | 51 | — | — |

| Ultra | 41 | — | — |

At 1440p, the Low preset achieves 69 FPS average. Medium averages exactly 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 and maximum of 69. High settings average 51 FPS, and Ultra drops to 41 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 28 FPS total reduction, with each preset tier costing approximately 9-10 FPS.

4K (3840x2160):

| Settings | Average FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|----------|-------------|---------|---------|

| Low | 37 | — | — |

| Medium | 33 | 28 | 37 |

| High | 28 | — | — |

| Ultra | 22 | — | — |

At 4K, the Low preset averages 37 FPS. Medium averages 33 FPS with a minimum of 28 and maximum of 37. High settings average 28 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS. The total range from Low to Ultra is 15 FPS, with each settings tier costing approximately 4-5 FPS. The Medium preset's min FPS of 28 indicates occasional frame drops below the average, suggesting potential stuttering during intense scenes.

The data across all resolutions shows consistent scaling patterns. The Medium preset always has the most complete data (including min and max FPS), while Low, High, and Ultra presets only record average FPS. The min FPS values for Medium are consistently 14 FPS below the average at 1080p, 9 FPS below at 1440p, and 5 FPS below at 4K, indicating that frame time consistency improves at higher resolutions where the GPU is more uniformly loaded.