Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER presents a fascinating case study in bottleneck dynamics within Doom. The data reveals a system where the CPU’s substantial processing power is frequently held back by the GPU’s rendering limits, particularly at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS to understand where the balance of power lies and what it means for the gaming experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable decline as resolution increases, but the rate of that decline tells a compelling story about system limitations. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 146.7 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 95.5 FPS, a 34.9% reduction. The jump to 4K further reduces performance to 49.7 FPS, which is 66.1% lower than the 1080p result. This steep curve is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the graphics card is working at its maximum capacity and cannot keep up with the increasing pixel count.

The scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced at higher settings. With Ultra settings, the system manages 91.4 FPS at 1080p, 60.7 FPS at 1440p, and just 30.5 FPS at 4K. The performance drop from 1440p to 4K at Ultra is a substantial 49.8% decrease. This suggests that at 4K, the GTX 1660 SUPER is the definitive limiting factor, struggling to maintain playable frame rates even on a game as well-optimized as Doom. The data implies that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combination, while 1440p is viable for most settings, but 4K should be reserved for lower quality presets or avoided entirely for a smooth experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is a formidable processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, a base clock of 3.80 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its benchmark scores indicate strong performance across the board, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23794 and a single-core score of 3359. The CPU’s percentile rank of 86 among all tested processors places it in the upper echelon of available hardware. However, in the context of Doom at high resolutions, the data suggests the CPU is rarely the bottleneck.

At 1080p with Low settings, the system reaches 146.7 FPS. This high frame rate suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to keep it busy, but the GPU still caps the output. The CPU’s 3DMark scores, such as 7683 for 16 threads and 959 for single-thread, indicate it has ample headroom for gaming workloads. The 32 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 51.2 GB/s provide a solid foundation for game data. In this pairing, the CPU’s role is to ensure that frame times remain consistent and that the GPU is never starved for draw calls, a task it handles admirably given the FPS figures.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is a Turing-architecture card with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1530 MHz with a boost of 1785 MHz. The GPU’s benchmark results are more modest, with a PassMark G3D score of 12699 and a percentile rank of 55 against all GPUs. This places it in the mid-range tier, and the data confirms that it is the primary constraint in this system.

The GPU’s 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit bus are sufficient for 1080p gaming but become strained at higher resolutions and settings. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra, 30.5 FPS, is a clear indicator that the card is overwhelmed. The 1408 shading units and 48 ROPs are simply not enough to process the pixel workload at 4K. Even at 1440p High, the 71.8 FPS figure shows the GPU is working hard, but the scaling from 1080p suggests it is hitting its limits. The GTX 1660 SUPER’s 5.027 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the ceiling here, and the data shows that the CPU is waiting on the GPU to finish rendering frames at nearly every resolution and setting combination.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy of performance across the four presets: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. At 1080p, all settings are playable, but the trade-offs are evident. Low settings yield 146.7 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings drop to 127.2 FPS, a 13.3% reduction, while High settings deliver 109 FPS. Ultra settings are the most demanding, producing 91.4 FPS, which is 37.7% lower than Low.

For a balanced experience at 1080p, High settings at 109 FPS offer a strong mix of visual fidelity and smoothness, especially since the engine’s performance is still well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p, the recommendation shifts. Low settings provide 95.5 FPS, but Medium at 81.7 FPS is a better visual compromise while retaining fluidity. High at 71.8 FPS is still viable, but Ultra at 60.7 FPS is borderline. At 4K, only Low at 49.7 FPS approaches playability, and even that is below the 60 FPS standard. Medium at 44.2 FPS and High at 39.4 FPS are decreasingly smooth, while Ultra at 30.5 FPS is not recommended. The data strongly suggests that 1080p High is the best overall experience, with 1440p Medium as a solid alternative for those prioritizing resolution over minor visual details.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific configuration of the Ryzen 7 5800XT and GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 1490 out of 1681 tested combos for Doom. This places it in the bottom 11.4% of all combinations tested in the database. The low rank is a direct consequence of the GPU’s mid-range positioning relative to the CPU’s high-end capability. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H with an average score of 29868 and a deltaPct of -0.3, show that the 5800XT is competitive in processing power. Similarly, the GPU’s nearest rivals, like the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT with an average score of 14389 and a deltaPct of -0.7, indicate that the GTX 1660 SUPER is near the bottom of its performance class.

The disparity is stark: the CPU sits at the 86th percentile, while the GPU sits at the 55th percentile. This imbalance means that the system’s overall gaming performance is dragged down by the graphics card. In Doom, a game that is known for its scalability, the combo rank suggests that the CPU’s potential is largely unrealized. The data implies that upgrading the GPU would yield a significant improvement in frame rates, as the CPU has ample headroom to support a more powerful graphics card. Conversely, pairing this CPU with a higher-tier GPU would likely push this combo much higher in the rankings.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average FPS is 146.7, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in Doom?

A: At 4K, the best result is 49.7 FPS with Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS target. Higher settings at 4K produce lower frame rates, such as 30.5 FPS on Ultra, indicating the GPU is a limiting factor.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p on High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 109 at 1080p to 71.8 at 1440p, a reduction of 34.1%.

Q: Which component is the primary bottleneck in this system?

A: The benchmark data indicates the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the primary bottleneck, as the CPU’s benchmark scores are far above the GPU’s, and FPS scales with resolution changes in a manner consistent with GPU limitations.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Low settings produce 95.5 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 60.7 FPS, a difference of 34.8 FPS or 36.4% lower performance.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 1490 out of 1681 tested combinations, placing it in the lower percentile of all tested systems.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS measurements for each resolution and settings preset combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS |

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

| 3840x2160 | High | 39.4 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 49.7 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 44.2 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 30.5 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 71.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 95.5 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 81.7 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 60.7 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 109.0 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 146.7 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 127.2 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 91.4 |