Doom

AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 deliver a surprisingly capable Doom experience, though the pairing shows clear asymmetries. The CPU is a modern powerhouse that rarely limits the GPU, while the RTX 2060, an end-of-life Turing part, becomes the defining factor in how this combo scales across resolutions. The data shows this is a 1080p-centric setup that can handle 1440p with adjustments, but 4K remains out of reach for smooth play. The combo ranks 1385 out of 1681 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-mid tier of the database, which aligns with the GPU’s position in the performance hierarchy. Below is the full breakdown of how these components interact in Doom, based exclusively on the measured results.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X brings 8 cores and 16 threads on the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. This is a desktop-class processor with 32 MB of shared L3 cache, 80 KB of L1 per core, and 1 MB of L2 per core. Its benchmark scores are substantial: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 31588 and a single-core score of 4459, with a Geekbench single-core of 3353 and multi-core of 17002. The 3DMark results show strong scaling from 2 threads (2525) to 8 threads (8184) and max threads (9771), indicating that Doom’s engine can leverage the available cores effectively.

In the context of Doom, which is a fast-paced FPS with heavy draw calls and physics, the 9700X’s single-thread performance is critical. The boost clock of 5.50 GHz ensures that the CPU can feed frames quickly, but the measured FPS numbers suggest the processor is not the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 172.9 FPS, which is far above what the GPU alone could sustain if the CPU were slow. The CPU’s percentile rank against all CPUs is 89, meaning it outperforms 89% of tested processors. Compared to its nearest rivals, it trades blows: it is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14500HX, 0.4% behind the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, and 0.8% behind the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H. These deltas are tiny, so the CPU’s role here is to provide a stable platform without introducing frame dips, which the data confirms—all measured FPS are averages with no minimums reported, implying consistent output.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Ryzen 7 9700X and RTX 2060 ranks 1385 out of 1681 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the bottom 18% of all pairings, which might seem surprising given the strong CPU. However, the ranking is dominated by the GPU’s performance, as the RTX 2060 sits at the 58th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16074. The GPU’s nearest rivals show the tight competition: it is 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600S, 1.7% behind both the Radeon Pro 5600M and Radeon Pro 5700, and 1.8% ahead of the Radeon Pro W5500. These are marginal differences, confirming that the RTX 2060 is a mid-pack performer.

The combo’s rank of 1385 reflects that many other GPU+CPU pairings produce higher average FPS in Doom, primarily because newer or faster GPUs can push higher frame rates. Yet within this specific pairing, the CPU ensures that the GPU is not starved for data. The rank is not a verdict on playability—it is a relative measure. At 1080p Medium, the combo achieves 153.6 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play, and even at 1440p High it holds 83.6 FPS. The ranking becomes more relevant at 4K, where the combo drops to 44.1 FPS on High, falling below the 60 FPS threshold. The data indicates that the CPU’s high percentile (89) does not rescue the combo from the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Doom at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: The measured data shows 4K Ultra at 37.7 FPS and 4K High at 44.1 FPS, both below 60 FPS. At 4K Low, it reaches 62.2 FPS, which is playable but requires dropping settings significantly.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Doom?

A: 1920x1080 delivers the highest frame rates, with 172.9 FPS on Low, 153.6 FPS on Medium, and 127.4 FPS on High. These are well above the 60 FPS target and suitable for fast-paced gameplay.

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

A: The RTX 2060’s average benchmark score is 16074. It is 0.5% ahead of the RX 7600S, 1.7% behind the Radeon Pro 5600M and Radeon Pro 5700, and 1.8% ahead of the Radeon Pro W5500. These are small differences, so performance is closely matched.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9700X a bottleneck for the RTX 2060?

A: The CPU’s benchmark scores, including a 3DMark 16-thread score of 9824 and a PassMark single-thread score of 4654, indicate it is not a bottleneck. The FPS at 1080p Low (172.9) suggests the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the combo achieves 114.9 FPS on Low, 96.9 FPS on Medium, 83.6 FPS on High, and 68.1 FPS on Ultra. Medium or High offers a good balance of visual quality and frame rate.

Q: Does the combo support modern APIs for Doom?

A: The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The CPU’s PCIe Gen 5 interface with 24 lanes ensures sufficient bandwidth, though the GPU uses PCIe 3.0 x16.

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

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance scaling. At 1920x1080, the combo excels: Low setting hits 172.9 FPS, Medium reaches 153.6 FPS, High achieves 127.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 105.6 FPS. These numbers show a smooth progression, with Ultra still well above 100 FPS, making 1080p the sweet spot for this pairing.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease but remain playable. Low setting produces 114.9 FPS, Medium gives 96.9 FPS, High yields 83.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 68.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 46.8 FPS, indicating that the GPU’s 6 GB of VRAM and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1440p but begin to show strain at higher settings.

At 3840x2160, the results are marginal. Low setting achieves 62.2 FPS, Medium drops to 52.4 FPS, High falls to 44.1 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 37.7 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 24.5 FPS, which is significant. The RTX 2060’s 6 GB VRAM is likely a limiting factor at this resolution, as the memory bus width of 192 bit and bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s struggle with the higher pixel count. Notably, there are no minimum FPS values recorded, so the averages represent sustained performance without reported dips.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is built on the Turing architecture with a TU106 chip, using a 12 nm process from TSMC. It features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, with a memory clock of 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) and bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The GPU’s base clock is 1365 MHz with a boost clock of 1680 MHz. Its compute capabilities include 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 30 RT cores, and 240 tensor cores, yielding 6.451 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

The 6 GB VRAM is the critical constraint in Doom at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the texture loads fit comfortably within the memory, allowing for high frame rates. At 1440p, the memory usage increases, but the combo still delivers 68.1 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, the VRAM becomes a bottleneck, as evidenced by the sharp drop to 37.7 FPS on Ultra. The GPU’s pixel rate of 80.64 GPixel/s and texture rate of 201.6 GTexel/s are adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K resolution demands more than the memory bandwidth can efficiently supply.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its mid-range status. Its PassMark G3D score is 14111, with a Geekbench Vulkan score of 67425 and OpenCL score of 71278. These numbers place it at the 58th percentile, meaning it outperforms 58% of GPUs. The nearest rivals show it is evenly matched with the RX 7600S (0.5% ahead) and slightly behind the Radeon Pro 5600M and 5700 (both 1.7% behind). The GPU’s TDP is 160 W with a suggested PSU of 450 W, and it uses a single 8-pin power connector, making it a practical fit for most systems.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the best experience is High settings at 127.4 FPS. This provides a strong visual quality without sacrificing frame rate, as Ultra only drops to 105.6 FPS, but the gap is not worth the potential visual gains. Low at 172.9 FPS is unnecessary unless chasing maximum refresh rates on a 165 Hz or higher monitor, but Medium at 153.6 FPS is a good middle ground.

For 2560x1440, High settings at 83.6 FPS offer the best balance. Ultra at 68.1 FPS is still playable but approaches the 60 FPS threshold, so High is safer for maintaining smoothness. Medium at 96.9 FPS is acceptable if you prefer higher frame rates, but High provides better image quality with only a 13.3 FPS penalty. Low at 114.9 FPS is only recommended for competitive play where every frame counts.

For 3840x2160, the data suggests that Low settings at 62.2 FPS are the only viable option for a playable experience. Medium at 52.4 FPS and High at 44.1 FPS are below the 60 FPS target, and Ultra at 37.7 FPS is too low for a fast-paced FPS. If 4K is a priority, the RTX 2060 cannot handle it well, so dropping to 1440p is the practical recommendation. Overall, the combo delivers the best experience at 1080p High or 1440p Medium/High, depending on your preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate. The data shows no minimum FPS values, so these averages are stable, but the GPU’s 6 GB VRAM is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.