Doom

The pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 in Doom produces a fascinating dataset that highlights the classic tension between a high-end CPU and a mid-range GPU. The benchmark results show a system that is clearly capable of delivering playable frame rates, yet the performance curve across resolutions reveals a distinct shift in bottleneck behavior. At 1080p, the combination delivers exceptional speed, but as pixel count climbs, the GPU's limitations become the dominant factor. This analysis examines the measured FPS data, the role of each component, and how this specific combo ranks within the broader database.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable decline as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop tells a compelling story about system balance. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 130.4 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 80.8 FPS, a reduction of roughly 38%. Pushing to 4K further reduces the average to 44.8 FPS, which is about 45% lower than the 1440p result and just over 66% lower than the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern is steep, indicating that the rendering workload is expanding faster than the GPU can compensate.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU efficiently, allowing the RTX 2060 to operate near its peak. However, the dramatic falloff at 1440p and 4K implies that the GPU is becoming the limiting component. The RTX 2060's 6 GB of VRAM and 192-bit memory bus are likely saturated at higher resolutions, which is consistent with the 4K Low setting producing 62.8 FPS while 4K Ultra falls to 38.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 24.1 FPS, a substantial margin that underscores how much the GPU struggles with the increased shader and texture demands of Doom's higher presets. The data implies that for this combo, 1080p is the sweet spot for high refresh rates, while 1440p is still viable but with a noticeable performance tax. 4K, in contrast, is only playable at lower settings, and even then, the frame rates hover around the 60 FPS threshold.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Doom?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 173.3, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

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

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 38.7, which is the lowest score recorded in the dataset.

Q: Is the frame rate difference between 1440p and 1080p significant at High settings?

A: Yes, the difference is substantial. The average FPS at 1440p High is 80.8, while at 1080p High it is 130.4, representing a drop of 49.6 FPS.

Q: What is the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low settings yield 173.3 FPS, while Ultra settings yield 105.8 FPS. The difference is 67.5 FPS, showing that Ultra has a significant performance cost.

Q: Does the combo's rank in the database indicate it is a top-tier performer?

A: No, the combo ranks 1378 out of 1681 tested combinations, placing it in the lower half of all tested systems.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 99.6.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This is a powerful desktop CPU, and its benchmark scores reflect that capability. For instance, it scores 23,571 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 3,327 in single-core, indicating strong performance across both multi-threaded and lightly-threaded workloads. In the context of Doom, which is a fast-paced FPS that benefits from high single-thread performance, the 5800X's 3dmark single-thread score of 943 suggests it can handle the game's logic and physics calculations without becoming a bottleneck.

The data supports this interpretation. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 173.3 FPS, which is a very high frame rate that suggests the CPU is not holding the system back. The CPU's 32 MB of L3 cache and 16 threads provide ample resources for the game's engine. However, the CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases. The benchmark results show that the FPS drops significantly from 1080p to 4K, which is a classic sign that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. Even at 4K Low, where the CPU should have less work to do per frame, the FPS only reaches 62.8, which is still lower than the 1080p Ultra result of 105.8. This indicates that while the 5800X is a capable processor, it cannot overcome the RTX 2060's rendering limitations in this scenario. The CPU is not the weak link in this chain; it is the GPU that caps the performance ceiling.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Doom, this specific pairing of the Ryzen 7 5800X and RTX 2060 ranks 1378 out of 1681 combos. This places it in the bottom 18% of all tested systems, which is a surprisingly low position given the individual components' capabilities. The CPU itself is a strong performer, with an average benchmark score of 27,606 and a percentile rank of 84 against all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 and Intel Core i5-12600KF, have very similar average scores, with deltas of 0.3% and -0.8% respectively, indicating that the 5800X is not significantly ahead of its direct competitors.

The GPU, however, is a different story. The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 16,074 and ranks in the 58th percentile against all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, like the AMD Radeon RX 7600S and Radeon Pro 5700, have scores that are within 1.7% of the RTX 2060. This suggests the GPU is a mid-range part, and when paired with a high-end CPU, the combo's overall rank is dragged down by the GPU's performance ceiling. The data implies that this combo is not optimized for maximum performance in Doom; instead, it represents a balanced but not exceptional pairing. The low rank suggests that many other combinations of CPUs and GPUs can achieve higher frame rates in this game, likely due to having more powerful GPUs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of the combo's performance across all tested resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings yield 173.3 FPS, Medium yields 150.8 FPS, High yields 130.4 FPS, and Ultra yields 105.8 FPS. These numbers show a clear progression, with each step up in settings costing roughly 20-25 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 67.5 FPS, which is substantial and indicates that the GPU is being taxed heavily by the higher presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings produce 113.6 FPS, Medium produces 99.6 FPS, High produces 80.8 FPS, and Ultra produces 65.3 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 48.3 FPS, which is slightly smaller than at 1080p, but the overall frame rates are lower. At 4K (3840x2160), the results become more marginal. Low settings yield 62.8 FPS, Medium yields 55.4 FPS, High yields 44.8 FPS, and Ultra yields 38.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 24.1 FPS, which is the smallest difference across all resolutions, but it is also the lowest absolute performance. The data shows that the combo can handle 1080p and 1440p with playable frame rates at most settings, but 4K requires the lowest settings to approach a playable 60 FPS, and even then, it falls short at 62.8 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For players with a 1080p monitor, the High preset at 130.4 FPS offers an excellent balance between visual fidelity and smoothness. The Ultra preset at 105.8 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize graphics over raw speed, but the 24.6 FPS drop from High to Ultra may be noticeable to some. For a competitive edge, the Medium preset at 150.8 FPS is a strong choice, as it provides a significant boost over High while still maintaining a reasonable visual quality.

At 1440p, the data suggests that the Low preset at 113.6 FPS is the best option for high-refresh-rate gaming. The Medium preset at 99.6 FPS is also a good choice, offering a more detailed image while still staying above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 80.8 FPS is playable but begins to dip below the 144Hz refresh rate that many 1440p monitors support. The Ultra preset at 65.3 FPS is the least recommended, as it sacrifices a significant amount of performance for marginal visual gains. For 4K, the only setting that approaches a playable frame rate is Low at 62.8 FPS. The Medium preset at 55.4 FPS is borderline, and High and Ultra are not recommended due to their sub-50 FPS averages. In summary, the data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming at High or Medium settings, with 1440p being a viable alternative at lower presets.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a Turing-architecture GPU with a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz. It features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, along with 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores. Its raw compute performance is 6.451 TFLOPS for FP32. In the context of Doom, the GPU's role is to handle the rendering pipeline, and the data shows that it is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The benchmark results reveal that the GPU's performance is highly dependent on the settings. At 1080p, the GPU can push frame rates above 100 FPS at most settings, indicating that it has enough raw power for this resolution. However, the steep drop in FPS at 1440p and 4K highlights the limitations of its 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus. The GPU's passmark G3D score of 14,111 and its 58th percentile rank underscore its mid-range positioning. The data shows that the RTX 2060 is not capable of sustaining high frame rates at 4K, even at Low settings, where it only manages 62.8 FPS. This suggests that the GPU's texture fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient for the demands of higher resolutions. The GPU is clearly the limiting component in this combo, as the CPU has more than enough power to feed it.