Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT pairing lands in the lower-middle tier of tested combinations for Doom, holding rank 1170 out of 1681 combos. This places it in the 30th percentile of all systems tested, indicating that while it is far from the slowest setup, it is decisively outperformed by a majority of the field. The data shows a system that is capable of delivering smooth gameplay at standard resolutions, but it is not built to dominate high-refresh-rate 4K scenarios. The bottleneck behavior is clear: at lower resolutions the CPU holds its own, but at 4K the GPU becomes the definitive limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1170 out of 1681 tested pairings represents a solidly mid-pack result, but the context matters. This is not a top-tier configuration; it sits below the median, meaning most other tested combos deliver higher frame rates in Doom. The ranking reflects a balance where neither component is exceptionally strong in absolute terms, yet the pair works well enough to avoid severe stalling. The CPU’s percentile versus all processors is 82, which is strong, while the GPU’s percentile versus all GPUs is 71, a notch lower. This disparity suggests the graphics card is the weaker link in the chain, a hypothesis confirmed by the FPS scaling data. When compared to the nearest rivals, the CPU is virtually tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (0% delta) and slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F by 0.3%. The GPU, meanwhile, is effectively matched with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (0.1% delta) and trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 by 0.9%. These margins are negligible, meaning the combo’s rank is more a function of its absolute performance tier than any specific advantage over close competitors.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 8400F is built on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Phoenix, and manufactured on a 4 nm process. It features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This is a modern, efficient design with a 65 W TDP, and its benchmark scores are respectable: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851 and a single-core score of 2943. For Doom, a game that benefits from strong single-thread performance, the 8400F’s boost clock is the key asset. The game’s engine responds well to high clock speeds, and the data indicates that the CPU is not the primary constraint until resolutions drop. At 1080p, the CPU’s headroom is sufficient to feed the GPU, but as resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows, and the CPU’s relative importance diminishes. The 16 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support (with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth) provide adequate data throughput for the game’s demands. In the context of this combo, the CPU’s role is to maintain a high frame floor, which it does admirably, but it cannot compensate for the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The Radeon RX 6600 XT is an RDNA 2.0 part, based on the Navi 23 chip, and it is the clear performance ceiling for this combo. It comes with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. The card’s boost clock is 2589 MHz, with a game clock of 2359 MHz, and it delivers 10.60 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. In Doom, the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game’s textures, but its raw compute power is what dictates the frame rates. The benchmark results show a GPU that is capable of high frame rates at 1080p but struggles to maintain playable performance at 4K Ultra. Its PassMark G3D score of 16461 places it in the 71st percentile, which is solid but not elite. The nearest rival data shows it is 0.1% ahead of the GTX 980 Ti and 0.9% behind the RTX 3070, indicating that it sits in a performance band where small differences matter. In this combo, the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K, where the frame rate drops sharply, confirming that the card’s compute throughput is the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across resolutions and settings. Starting at 1080p, the combo achieves an average of 189.6 FPS on Low, 166.8 FPS on Medium, 141.6 FPS on High, and 115.3 FPS on Ultra. These numbers are all well above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating a smooth experience regardless of settings. Moving to 1440p, the averages are 125.4 FPS on Low, 108 FPS on Medium, 90.9 FPS on High, and 77.7 FPS on Ultra. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent, but the system remains comfortably playable. At 4K, the picture changes dramatically. The average FPS on Low is 70.1, which is still acceptable, but Medium drops to 60.1, High to 52.2, and Ultra falls to 39.2 FPS. The latter is below the playable threshold for many users. The data shows a system that excels at 1080p, is strong at 1440p, and struggles at 4K Ultra. The transition from High to Ultra at each resolution costs roughly 15-20% performance, which is a typical trade-off for this GPU class.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the bottleneck dynamic. At 1080p Ultra, the combo hits 115.3 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 39.2 FPS, a 66% reduction. This steep drop is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. When the resolution increases, the GPU’s workload expands, and the RX 6600 XT cannot keep pace. In contrast, the CPU’s performance is relatively static, meaning it is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The evidence is in the Low settings: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 189.6 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 70.1 FPS. This 63% reduction is almost entirely due to the GPU’s pixel fill rate and shading capacity. The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at 4K, while at 1080p, the system is more balanced, with the CPU providing enough headroom to push high frame rates. For users seeking higher FPS at 4K, the RX 6600 XT would need to be paired with a more powerful GPU, as this data shows it cannot deliver a consistent 60 FPS at 4K High or Ultra.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience balances visual quality with frame rate. At 1080p, the High preset (141.6 FPS) is the sweet spot, offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium (166.8 FPS) with only a modest FPS cost. Ultra (115.3 FPS) is also viable, but the 26 FPS drop from High is noticeable, and High provides a smoother experience for fast-paced action. At 1440p, High (90.9 FPS) is the recommended choice, as it stays above 90 FPS, providing a fluid experience. Medium (108 FPS) is also good, but High’s visual improvements are worth the 17 FPS reduction. At 4K, the situation is more delicate. Low (70.1 FPS) is the only preset that maintains a solid frame rate above 60 FPS. Medium (60.1 FPS) is borderline, and High (52.2 FPS) and Ultra (39.2 FPS) are below the playable threshold for most users. Therefore, for 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option if frame rate is the priority. For the best overall experience, 1080p High or 1440p High are the strongest choices, delivering high FPS without sacrificing too much visual fidelity.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve over 100 FPS on High settings?

A: The 1080p High preset delivers an average of 141.6 FPS, while 1440p High drops to 90.9 FPS. Therefore, 1080p is the only resolution where High settings exceed the 100 FPS mark.

Q: How does this combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 39.2, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This preset is not recommended for a playable experience.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 4K?

A: The data shows a 66% FPS drop from 1080p Ultra (115.3 FPS) to 4K Ultra (39.2 FPS), indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s performance is not the constraint at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between 1080p Low and 1080p Ultra?

A: The 1080p Low preset averages 189.6 FPS, while 1080p Ultra averages 115.3 FPS. This represents a 74.3 FPS difference, or a 39% reduction in performance when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: Which preset offers the best balance at 1440p?

A: The High preset at 1440p averages 90.9 FPS, which is above 60 FPS and offers a good balance of visual quality and performance. Medium is faster at 108 FPS, but High provides a better visual experience.

Q: Does this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K on any preset?

A: Yes, the 4K Low preset averages 70.1 FPS, which is above 60 FPS. The Medium preset averages 60.1 FPS, which is just at the threshold, but Low is the safer choice for consistent performance.