Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 produces a clear performance profile in Doom, one defined by the GPU’s limits at higher resolutions and the CPU’s headroom at lower ones. The measured data shows a system that is entirely playable at 1080p and 1440p with the right settings, but one that struggles to maintain fluid frame rates at 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured frames per second (FPS) data, examines the roles of each component, and provides context on how this specific combination ranks among other tested setups.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, indicating that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 becomes the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 175 FPS. Moving to 1440p with the same settings, the average drops to 113 FPS, a reduction of 62 FPS. At 4K Low, the average falls to 61 FPS, which is just over a third of the 1080p Low score. This scaling pattern is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance, where the render resolution directly dictates the frame rate.

The gap between settings widens at higher resolutions, further emphasizing the GPU bottleneck. At 1080p, the difference between Low (175 FPS) and Ultra (105 FPS) is 70 FPS. At 1440p, the difference between Low (113 FPS) and Ultra (68 FPS) is 45 FPS. At 4K, the difference between Low (61 FPS) and Ultra (37 FPS) is only 24 FPS. This narrowing gap at 4K suggests that even the lowest settings cannot fully relieve the pressure on the GPU, as the sheer number of pixels overwhelms the RTX 2060’s capabilities. The data indicates that the CPU is not the deciding factor in this resolution scaling; instead, the RTX 2060’s 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus are simply not sufficient for smooth 4K gameplay in this title.

FAQ

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

A: The measured average FPS for the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination at 2560x1440 with Ultra settings is 68 FPS.

Q: How does the 1080p Medium performance compare to 4K Medium?

A: At 1080p Medium, the system averages 152 FPS with a minimum of 130 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 53 FPS with a minimum of 45 FPS. This represents a significant performance reduction of 99 FPS on average when moving from 1080p to 4K.

*Q: Is the RTX 2060 capable of running Doom at 4K?*

A: The data shows that 4K performance is marginal at best. The highest average FPS at 4K is 61 FPS on Low settings. At High settings, it drops to 45 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 37 FPS. These results indicate that while 4K is technically possible, the frame rates are often below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a high refresh rate?

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p is the only resolution where the system consistently exceeds 100 FPS. At 1080p, all settings except Ultra (105 FPS) average over 129 FPS, with Low settings reaching 175 FPS. This makes 1080p the target for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combination ranks 2294 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the lower percentile of all tested systems, which is consistent with the RTX 2060 being an older, lower-tier GPU.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU have a larger impact on the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings?

A: The performance delta between Low and Ultra settings is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p, the difference is 70 FPS (175 vs 105), and at 1440p, it is 45 FPS (113 vs 68). The CPU, with its high core count and clock speeds, is not the bottleneck in these tests.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a high-end desktop processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture. It features a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, along with a large 96 MB shared L3 cache. In the context of Doom, a game known for being well-optimized, this CPU provides ample processing power. The benchmark data for the CPU shows strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22807 and a single-core score of 2228.

However, the measured FPS data in Doom suggests that the CPU’s performance is not the limiting factor in this pairing. At 1080p Low, the system hits 175 FPS, which is a very high frame rate. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at a lower value regardless of resolution or settings. Instead, the FPS scales significantly with resolution, dropping from 175 FPS at 1080p to 61 FPS at 4K on Low settings. This indicates that the GPU is the component determining the frame rate ceiling. The CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with data, and in this case, it does so without becoming a constraint, even at lower resolutions where the GPU has more headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably. On Low settings, it achieves an average of 175 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play. Medium settings yield an average of 152 FPS with a minimum of 130 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience. High settings average 129 FPS, and even Ultra settings maintain an average of 105 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for most displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops but remains playable. Low settings average 113 FPS, while Medium settings average 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS. High settings average 83 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 68 FPS. These numbers suggest that 1440p is viable, but users will need to be mindful of their settings to maintain high refresh rates. The Ultra preset at 1440p is the first point where the average FPS dips below 70, indicating a more demanding load on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060 clearly struggles. Low settings are the only option that provides a frame rate above 60 FPS, averaging 61 FPS. Medium settings drop to an average of 53 FPS, with a minimum of 45 FPS. High settings average 45 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 37 FPS. These results demonstrate that 4K gaming is not a practical option for this GPU, as even the lowest settings barely reach the 60 FPS mark, and higher settings result in a sub-optimal experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 2294 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom. This places the system in the bottom 22% of all tested configurations. This ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU, as the RTX 2060 is an older graphics card with performance that is now considered mid-range or lower. The CPU, in contrast, is a top-tier processor that would rank much higher if paired with a more powerful GPU.

The GPU’s benchmark scores support this analysis. The RTX 2060 has a Passmark G3D score of 14111 and an average benchmark score of 15290, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (avg score 15283) and the AMD Radeon 680M (avg score 15270), with negligible performance differences (0% and 0.1% delta, respectively). This indicates that the RTX 2060’s raw gaming performance is on par with much older or integrated graphics solutions in synthetic tests, which aligns with its low ranking in the game-specific test. The CPU, on the other hand, ranks in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22807, showing a stark contrast in capability between the two components.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the ideal settings preset depends on the user’s resolution and refresh rate goals. For 1080p, the High preset is the recommended choice, as it delivers an average of 129 FPS. This is a good balance between visual quality and performance, providing a significant improvement over Medium (152 FPS) in terms of graphical fidelity while still maintaining a frame rate well above 60 FPS. For users with a 144Hz or higher refresh rate monitor, the Medium preset at 152 FPS is a better option, as it pushes the frame rate higher for a smoother competitive experience.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point. It averages 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS, ensuring a consistent and fluid experience. The High preset (83 FPS) is also acceptable for users who prefer better visuals and have a 60Hz or 75Hz monitor. The Ultra preset (68 FPS) should be avoided if a high refresh rate is desired, as it falls below the 70 FPS mark. For 4K, the data suggests that gaming is not a strong suit for this combo. The Low preset (61 FPS) is the only one that provides a playable frame rate, but it compromises visual quality significantly. Users with a 4K display would likely need to reduce the resolution to 1440p for a better experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the primary determinant of this system’s gaming performance in Doom. It is a Turing-architecture GPU with 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. It features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz. Its performance in synthetic benchmarks is modest, with a Passmark G3D score of 14111, which places it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU’s role in this pairing is to render the game’s graphics, and its limitations are clear in the measured FPS data. At 1080p, the GPU is able to provide high frame rates, but as the resolution increases, its performance degrades sharply. This is typical for a GPU with a 192-bit memory bus and 6 GB of VRAM, which can struggle with the higher memory bandwidth requirements of 4K textures and rendering. The data shows that the RTX 2060 is a capable 1080p card and a passable 1440p card, but it is not designed for 4K gaming. Its performance is closely matched by the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 and AMD Radeon 680M in synthetic benchmarks, with a delta of 0% and 0.1% respectively, further highlighting its position in the mid-range tier of GPUs.