Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination delivers a playable but not exceptional experience in Doom, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The combo ranks in the 1395th position out of 1681 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database, a position that reflects the RTX 2060's age rather than any deficiency in the CPU.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, revealing a classic GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 172.3 FPS at 1920x1080 to 61.9 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of approximately 64%. This is a dramatic decline that points squarely at the graphics card's rendering throughput as the limiting factor; the CPU has ample headroom to feed frames, but the RTX 2060 cannot sustain the pixel workload at 4K.

The pattern holds at every preset level. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings drops the average from 127.4 FPS to 84.9 FPS, a 33% reduction. The subsequent step from 1440p to 4K at the same preset is even harsher, falling from 84.9 FPS to 42.7 FPS, a 50% decline. This non-linear scaling is typical of a GPU that is being saturated; the gap between resolutions widens as the pixel count increases, because the RTX 2060's 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus bandwidth become progressively more strained.

At Ultra settings, the situation is most pronounced. The 1080p average of 103.3 FPS drops to 68.3 FPS at 1440p, then collapses to 39.1 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is barely above the 30 FPS threshold for playability, indicating that this combination is not suited for maximum fidelity at that resolution. The data suggests that the Ryzen 7 3700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is never the bottleneck here; even at 1080p Low, where the CPU would be most stressed, the 172.3 FPS result shows no sign of a processor ceiling.

How This Combo Ranks

With a rank of 1395 out of 1681 tested combos, this pairing sits in the 83rd percentile from the bottom, meaning roughly 83% of all tested CPU-GPU combinations deliver higher average frame rates in Doom. This is a modest standing, but it must be interpreted in context. The RTX 2060 is a Turing-generation part, and its average benchmark score of 16074 places it near the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (15996, a 0.5% delta) and just behind the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (16351, a -1.7% delta). The GPU's percentile vs all GPUs is 58, meaning it outperforms 58% of all graphics cards tested, which is respectable but far from top-tier.

The CPU, however, is a different story. The Ryzen 7 3700X holds an 85th percentile rank among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28631. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i5-12600 (28654, delta -0.1%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT (28591, delta 0.1%), indicating that the processor is competitive with more modern mid-range parts. The disparity between the CPU's strong relative standing and the combo's weak overall rank confirms that the RTX 2060 is the anchor dragging this pairing down in Doom's performance hierarchy.

Within the game itself, the 1395th rank out of 1681 is not a failure, but it is a clear signal that this combo will not compete with higher-end configurations. The 4K results, in particular, are below the 60 FPS target that many players consider the baseline for smooth gameplay, and even the 1440p Ultra result of 68.3 FPS is only marginally above that threshold.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is a Zen 2 part built on the 7 nm process, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz are adequate for Doom, which is a well-optimized engine that scales reasonably across multiple threads but does not heavily tax even mid-range processors. The CPU's 32 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 51.2 GB/s provide sufficient bandwidth for the game's streaming needs.

Benchmark results reinforce the CPU's capability. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19087 and single-core score of 2694 demonstrate strong computational performance, while the PassMark multi-thread score of 22458 and single-thread score of 2656 confirm balanced throughput. These numbers suggest that the CPU can easily sustain the frame rates demanded by the RTX 2060 at 1080p and 1440p, and it is unlikely to be the source of any frame pacing issues.

In Doom specifically, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. Given that the measured FPS at 1080p Low reaches 172.3, the Ryzen 7 3700X shows no signs of being overwhelmed. The data indicates that the processor is operating well within its limits, and any performance shortfall in this combo is attributable to the graphics card, not the CPU. The 65 W TDP also suggests that thermal throttling is unlikely to be a concern in a standard desktop chassis.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings yield an average of 172.3 FPS, Medium produces 150.2 FPS, High achieves 127.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 103.3 FPS. These numbers indicate that the RTX 2060 is more than capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p, even with maximum fidelity settings. The gap between Low and Ultra is 69 FPS, showing that the settings presets have a significant impact on performance at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are still respectable but show the GPU beginning to struggle. Low produces 110.7 FPS, Medium drops to 99.1 FPS, High falls to 84.9 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 68.3 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 42.4 FPS, narrower than at 1080p, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The 1440p results are playable across all presets, but the Ultra setting is approaching the edge of what most users would consider smooth.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit. Low yields an average of 61.9 FPS, Medium drops to 52.2 FPS, High falls to 42.7 FPS, and Ultra manages only 39.1 FPS. These figures are below the 60 FPS standard for 4K gaming, and even the Low preset is marginal. The RTX 2060's 6 GB VRAM and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering in Doom, and the data clearly shows that this resolution is not viable for a consistently smooth experience.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Doom at 60 FPS in 4K?

A: Only at Low settings, where the average FPS is 61.9. Medium settings drop to 52.2 FPS, and High and Ultra fall to 42.7 and 39.1 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1920x1080 is the sweet spot. All presets exceed 100 FPS, with Ultra achieving 103.3 FPS and Low reaching 172.3 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this setup?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU's 85th percentile rank and strong benchmark scores suggest it has headroom, while the GPU's 58th percentile rank and the steep FPS drops at higher resolutions indicate it is the limiting component.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060's average benchmark score of 16074 is 0.5% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (15996) and 1.8% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15786), but 1.7% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (16351).

Q: What settings preset should I use for 1440p?

A: Medium settings at 99.1 FPS offer a good balance, while High at 84.9 FPS is also viable. Ultra at 68.3 FPS is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes.

Q: Does the Ryzen 7 3700X hold back the RTX 2060?

A: No. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19087 and single-core score of 2694 indicate it can handle the game's demands, and the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K aligns with GPU limitations.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset at 103.3 FPS is the clear choice. It delivers the best visual fidelity while still maintaining a frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold, and even the most demanding scenes are unlikely to dip below playable levels. If a higher refresh rate is the priority, the High preset at 127.4 FPS offers a 24 FPS improvement over Ultra with a modest reduction in visual quality.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings at 99.1 FPS provide the most balanced experience. The High preset at 84.9 FPS is also acceptable, but the jump to Ultra at 68.3 FPS is a significant 16.6 FPS drop for marginal visual gains. Users with 144 Hz monitors should stick to Medium, while those with 60 Hz displays can comfortably use High.

At 3840x2160, the data offers no ideal preset. Low settings at 61.9 FPS are the only option that consistently exceeds 60 FPS, but the visual compromise is substantial. Medium at 52.2 FPS is a middle ground, but it falls short of the 60 FPS target. For 4K gaming, this combo is best suited to Low settings, and users should consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a Turing-architecture GPU with 1920 shading units and 48 ROPs. Its base clock of 1365 MHz and boost clock of 1680 MHz, combined with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, yield a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The GPU's FP32 performance of 6.451 TFLOPS and pixel rate of 80.64 GPixel/s are modest by modern standards, but they are sufficient for Doom's engine at lower resolutions.

The GPU's benchmark scores paint a picture of a mid-range part. The PassMark G3D score of 14111 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1242 indicate that it is capable of handling DirectX 12 titles, but its 58th percentile rank among all GPUs shows that it is outclassed by newer hardware. The RTX 2060's ray tracing cores (30) and tensor cores (240) are present, but Doom does not utilize these features, so they have no bearing on the measured results.

In this game, the GPU's role is defined by its memory and bandwidth constraints. The 6 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the texture data and geometry can exceed this capacity, leading to the sharp performance drop observed. The 192-bit bus width also limits memory bandwidth, which becomes a bottleneck when rendering at higher pixel counts. The data shows that the RTX 2060 is the definitive limiting factor in this combo, and its age relative to the CPU is the primary reason for the combo's low rank in the database.