Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination delivers a thoroughly playable Doom experience across all tested resolutions, with the data showing a clear shift in system bottleneck as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU's strong single-thread performance keeps frame rates high, while at 4K, the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources become the primary constraint. The measured results provide a complete picture of how this pairing scales across three resolutions and four quality presets.

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, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. This is a desktop part with a 65 W TDP, and it sits in the 75th percentile of all CPUs in the database, indicating strong overall performance. Its cache layout includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a 32 MB L3 cache, which is substantial for a 6-core chip.

The CPU's benchmark scores reinforce its capability for gaming workloads. In Cinebench R23, it scores 11838 in multi-core and 1541 in single-core, while in Geekbench it achieves 9173 multi-core and 1989 single-core. The 3DMark results show a scaling pattern from 1793 in the 2-thread test to 5588 in the max-thread test, which suggests that the processor scales well with additional threads, though the gains taper off after 8 threads. The PassMark single-thread score of 3364 is particularly relevant for game performance, as many game engines still rely heavily on a few fast cores. The data shows that in Doom, this CPU is more than adequate.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 5600X holds its ground. Its average benchmark score of 21771 is essentially identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H's 21749, a delta of just 0.1%. It is also within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U and the Intel Core i7-11700, and 0.6% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9554P. This tight clustering indicates that the 5600X is operating at the expected level for its class, and any performance differences in Doom will come from the GPU rather than CPU limitations.

In the measured frame rates, the CPU's influence is most visible at 1080p. At this resolution, the GPU is not always the limiting factor, and the CPU's high single-thread score of 3364 helps push frame rates to 175 FPS on Low settings. The difference between Low and Medium at 1080p is 23 FPS, which is a modest drop compared to the reduction seen at higher resolutions, further indicating that the CPU is keeping pace. The 6-core, 12-thread configuration is well-suited for Doom, which is not an extremely demanding title for multi-core processors, and the data suggests that the CPU does not bottleneck this combination until frame rates exceed what the GPU can deliver.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a Turing-architecture GPU with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1365 MHz with a boost clock of 1680 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz, or 14 Gbps effective. The GPU has 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units, along with 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores. It achieves a pixel rate of 80.64 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 201.6 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 6.451 TFLOPS.

The GPU's benchmark results show it performing at the 58th percentile of all GPUs, with a PassMark G3D score of 14111 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 65846. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1242, which is a more modern test and indicates the GPU can handle DirectX 12 workloads. The GPU's average benchmark score of 15290 places it in a close battle with its nearest rivals. It is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (delta 0%), and less than 1% away from the AMD Radeon 680M, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, and AMD Radeon RX 7600.

In Doom, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises. At 1080p, the RTX 2060 is capable of delivering 175 FPS on Low settings, which shows that the GPU can drive high frame rates when the resolution is low. However, the 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus become more relevant at higher resolutions. The data shows that at 4K, the average frame rates drop significantly, and the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute capacity are the limiting factors. The 336.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the GPU is clearly stressed, as indicated by the average FPS falling to 45 on High settings and 37 on Ultra.

The boost clock of 1680 MHz is a reasonable figure for this class of GPU, but the data shows that the performance scaling from 1080p to 4K is steep. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, where the RTX 2060's compute resources are saturated. The 6 GB VRAM is not necessarily the primary constraint in Doom, but the overall GPU architecture is the main factor behind the frame rate drops.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern of frame rate reduction as resolution increases. At 1080p, the average FPS across all settings ranges from 105 FPS on Ultra to 175 FPS on Low. At 1440p, the range drops to 68 FPS on Ultra and 113 FPS on Low. At 4K, the range falls further to 37 FPS on Ultra and 61 FPS on Low. This scaling indicates that the system is becoming progressively more GPU-bound at higher resolutions.

Looking at the High settings preset specifically, the average FPS drops from 129 at 1080p to 83 at 1440p, a reduction of 46 FPS, and then to 45 at 4K, a further reduction of 38 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is significant, showing that the RTX 2060 is the clear bottleneck at this resolution. The data suggests that while the Ryzen 5 5600X can keep up at 1080p, it is not the limiting factor at 1440p or 4K.

The scaling pattern also reveals that the difference between settings presets becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 70 FPS (175 minus 105). At 1440p, that difference is 45 FPS (113 minus 68). At 4K, the difference narrows to 24 FPS (61 minus 37). This indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU and GPU are both contributing to frame rates, but at 4K, the GPU is so heavily loaded that changing settings has a smaller relative impact on the average FPS.

This analysis points to the GPU as the primary limiting component at 1440p and 4K. The CPU's strong single-thread performance allows it to maintain high frame rates at 1080p, but the GPU's architecture cannot sustain those frame rates as the pixel count increases. The data shows that for the best experience at 4K, users will need to lower settings, while at 1080p, the system can handle the highest presets with room to spare.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured frame rates provide a detailed look at the performance of this combination. At 1920x1080, the average FPS is 175 on Low settings, 152 on Medium, 129 on High, and 105 on Ultra. The Medium preset has recorded min and max values of 130 and 175 FPS, respectively, showing that the frame rate is relatively stable. The spread from Low to Ultra is 70 FPS, which is the largest of any resolution, indicating that the system has headroom to scale settings.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 113 on Low, 99 on Medium, 83 on High, and 68 on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a min of 84 and a max of 113, which is a tighter range than at 1080p. The difference between Low and Ultra is 45 FPS, reflecting the increased GPU load. The frame rates at 1440p are still very playable, with even the Ultra preset exceeding 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 61 on Low, 53 on Medium, 45 on High, and 37 on Ultra. The Medium preset has min and max values of 45 and 61 FPS, respectively. The difference between Low and Ultra is 24 FPS, which is the smallest spread. This shows that at 4K, the GPU is the dominant factor, and even lowering settings cannot produce frame rates above 61 FPS on Low. The Ultra preset at 37 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold often considered ideal for smooth gameplay, while the Low preset at 61 FPS is just above it.

The data shows that the system performs best at 1080p, where all presets deliver over 100 FPS. At 1440p, the system remains strong, with all presets above 60 FPS. At 4K, only the Low and Medium presets approach playable frame rates, with the High and Ultra presets falling below 45 FPS. The min FPS values recorded for Medium presets indicate that frame pacing is consistent, with no major stutters or drops.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain high frame rates?

A: At 1920x1080, all presets deliver over 100 FPS, with the Low preset reaching 175 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset still achieves 68 FPS, so 1440p is viable for all settings. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset exceeds 60 FPS, so 4K requires lower settings for smooth play.

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

A: The Ryzen 5 5600X has an average benchmark score of 21771, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H (21749) and 0.5% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U (21874). It is also 0.5% above the Intel Core i7-11700 (21891) and 0.6% above the AMD EPYC 9554P (21899).

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile and how does it compare to similar cards?

A: The RTX 2060 is in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15290. It is within 0.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (15283), 0.1% of the AMD Radeon 680M (15270), 0.6% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (15199), and 0.8% of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 (15171).

Q: Why does the frame rate drop so much from 1080p to 4K?

A: At 1080p, the average FPS on High is 129, while at 4K it is 45. This drop of 84 FPS indicates that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as its compute and memory resources are saturated by the increased pixel count.

Q: Are the frame rates stable, or are there significant drops?

A: The Medium preset has recorded min and max values at all resolutions. At 1080p, the range is 130 to 175 FPS. At 1440p, it is 84 to 113 FPS. At 4K, it is 45 to 61 FPS. These ranges suggest consistent performance without major stutters, with the spread narrowing as resolution increases.

Q: Can this combo handle Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: Yes, the data shows an average FPS of 68 at 2560x1440 on Ultra settings. This is above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the system can handle the highest quality preset at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data shows that the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 105 FPS, which is well above the standard 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. Given that the Low preset reaches 175 FPS, there is ample headroom, so the Ultra preset is clearly the best choice at this resolution for visual quality without sacrificing performance.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset achieves 68 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS. This makes Ultra the recommended preset, as the frame rate remains playable while providing the best visuals. The High preset at 83 FPS is also a strong option, but the data shows that Ultra is viable, so users can maximize quality without dropping below the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. The Ultra preset averages only 37 FPS, which is below the acceptable threshold for most players. The High preset at 45 FPS is also below 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 53 FPS is the best balance, but it still falls short of 60 FPS. The Low preset at 61 FPS is the only option that exceeds 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for 4K if smooth gameplay is the priority. The data shows that the Medium preset at 4K has a min FPS of 45, which could lead to noticeable drops in fast-paced scenes.

Given these numbers, the best experience for this combo is at 1440p with the Ultra preset, where the average FPS of 68 provides a good balance of visual fidelity and performance. At 1080p, Ultra is also recommended, as the 105 FPS average ensures a smooth experience. At 4K, users must compromise, and the Low preset is the only one that consistently delivers above 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination ranks 2934 out of 3712 tested combos for Doom, placing it in the lower half of the database. This ranking reflects the GPU's age and position in the performance hierarchy, as the RTX 2060 is an end-of-life product with a 58th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The CPU, in contrast, is a strong performer in the 75th percentile, but in Doom, the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, which drags the overall combo ranking down.

The rank of 2934 out of 3712 means that approximately 79% of the tested combos perform better than this one in Doom. This is not surprising given the GPU's benchmark scores. The RTX 2060's PassMark G3D score of 14111 is modest compared to more modern cards, and its average benchmark score of 15290 places it in a tie with the much older GeForce GTX 580. This data suggests that while the Ryzen 5 5600X has the processing power to support higher-end GPUs, the RTX 2060 holds the system back.

The combo rank is a direct result of the measured FPS data. At 1080p, the system performs well, with frame rates exceeding 100 FPS on all presets. However, at 4K, the frame rates fall to 37-61 FPS, which is below what many other combos can achieve. The GPU's 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but they are not competitive at 4K. The ranking indicates that this is a mid-tier combination, suitable for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but not for high-refresh-rate or 4K experiences. The data confirms that the CPU is not the bottleneck, as its performance is consistent with its rivals, but the GPU's limitations define the combo's overall position in the rankings.