Doom

Resolution Scaling

The measured frames per second across the three resolutions reveal how this CPU-GPU pairing handles the demands of Doom. At 1080p, the system is clearly capable of delivering high refresh rates, but the scaling to higher resolutions shows where the bottleneck shifts. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops from 122.2 FPS to 79.6 FPS, a substantial reduction that indicates the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as pixel count rises. The trend continues at 3840x2160, where the Ultra preset yields only 41.8 FPS, less than half of the 1080p result.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X with its 16 cores and 32 threads provides ample headroom, allowing the Radeon RX 7600 XT to push frame rates to 201.9 FPS on Low settings. This is a scenario where the CPU's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 944, keeps the pipeline fed. However, the scaling curve flattens significantly at 4K. The difference between Low and Ultra at 3840x2160 is 72.8 FPS versus 41.8 FPS, showing that the GPU's raw throughput, with its 22.57 TFLOPS FP32 compute, is what governs performance at that resolution.

The resolution scaling data points to a system that is well-balanced for 1440p gaming, where the gap between settings is manageable. At 1080p, the GPU is often the primary constraint, as even High settings produce 145.5 FPS, which is below the Low setting's 201.9 FPS. This suggests that the CPU is not the limiting component at lower resolutions; instead, the GPU's pixel rate of 176.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 352.6 GTexel/s are the determining factors. Conversely, at 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck, as the frame rate drops by roughly half compared to 1440p across all settings. The benchmark results indicate that users seeking maximum frame rates will find 1080p the most forgiving, while 4K demands significant settings compromises.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate gaming with this setup?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system consistently exceeds 120 FPS across all presets, with Low settings reaching 201.9 FPS. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset breaks the 120 FPS barrier, hitting 127.9 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 7600 XT compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Radeon RX 7600 XT has an average benchmark score of 20146, which places it 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 460 and 1.9% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER. It trails the AMD Radeon RX 7600 by 0.6% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile by 1.9%.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 5950X a bottleneck for this GPU in Doom?

A: The data suggests the CPU is rarely the limiting factor. At 1080p, the frame rate scales significantly with GPU settings (from 122.2 FPS on Ultra to 201.9 FPS on Low), indicating the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU's 3dmark_max_threads score of 11597 and passmark_multithread score of 45424 indicate substantial compute headroom.

Q: What is the frame rate at 1440p on High settings?

A: The measured average frame rate at 2560x1440 with the High preset is 97 FPS. This is a playable experience, though it falls short of the 144 FPS often desired for competitive play.

Q: How does the combo rank in Doom compared to all tested configurations?

A: This specific CPU and GPU combination ranks 1089 out of 1681 total combos tested for Doom, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. Despite this, it still delivers playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p.

Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM of the GPU affect the measured results?

A: The 16 GB GDDR6 memory with a 288.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for the tested presets. The frame rate drops at 4K are more attributable to the GPU's compute throughput than memory capacity, as the 128-bit bus width limits effective bandwidth compared to wider-bus rivals.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is the central figure in Doom's performance, particularly as resolution increases. The GPU's specifications, including a boost clock of 2755 MHz and a game clock of 2470 MHz, directly influence the measured frame rates. The 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs determine how quickly the card can process the game's geometry and effects. The data shows that the GPU's raw compute capability, rated at 22.57 TFLOPS FP32, is the key driver for the 4K results, where the frame rate drops to 41.8 FPS on Ultra.

The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory is a notable feature, but the data suggests it is not the primary bottleneck. The memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s, while adequate, is paired with a 128-bit bus width, which limits the data transfer rate compared to cards with wider interfaces. In Doom, the scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent decline, from 122.2 FPS to 41.8 FPS on Ultra, which aligns with the GPU's compute limits rather than memory capacity issues. The card's 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 2348 provides a synthetic reference point for its DirectX 12 capabilities, which is relevant since Doom supports the API.

The GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher settings. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra costs 79.7 FPS (from 201.9 to 122.2), a 39.5% reduction that reflects the increased shading and texture work. The same settings change at 1440p costs 48.3 FPS (from 127.9 to 79.6), and at 4K it costs 31 FPS (from 72.8 to 41.8). This pattern indicates that the GPU's pixel and texture fill rates, along with its FP32 compute, are the limiting factors as the workload increases. The card's passmark_g3d score of 17132 and passmark_gpu_compute score of 8987 corroborate its mid-range positioning, which is consistent with the measured in-game performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a comprehensive view of how the Ryzen 9 5950X and RX 7600 XT handle Doom. At 1920x1080, the system delivers excellent performance across all presets. The Low preset achieves an average of 201.9 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The Medium preset follows at 171.7 FPS, while High yields 145.5 FPS. The Ultra preset, despite being the most demanding, still produces a smooth 122.2 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p gaming is not only playable but also capable of driving monitors with refresh rates up to 200 Hz.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain respectable but begin to show the GPU's limitations. The Low preset delivers 127.9 FPS, which is still above the 120 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium drops to 111.3 FPS, High to 97 FPS, and Ultra to 79.6 FPS. The step from High to Ultra at this resolution costs 17.4 FPS, a significant penalty for the visual fidelity gain. For players with 144 Hz monitors, the Low or Medium presets would be necessary to fully utilize the display's capabilities.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a substantial hit. The Low preset is the only one that remains above 60 FPS, with an average of 72.8 FPS. Medium falls to 60.6 FPS, High to 49.5 FPS, and Ultra to 41.8 FPS. These results show that 4K gaming requires significant settings compromises. The difference between Low and Medium is 12.2 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 11.1 FPS, and the final step to Ultra costs another 7.7 FPS. The data clearly indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution, as the CPU's performance headroom is not the issue.

The overall pattern across all resolutions and settings shows a consistent hierarchy: Low > Medium > High > Ultra. The relative performance gaps are larger at lower resolutions, where the GPU is less stressed, and smaller at 4K, where the GPU is saturated. This is typical of a mid-range GPU paired with a high-end CPU, where the CPU can keep up at all settings but the GPU's compute limits dictate the final frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset offers 122.2 FPS, which is smooth for most users, but the High preset at 145.5 FPS provides a better balance for competitive play without a significant visual penalty. The Medium preset at 171.7 FPS is recommended for players with 165 Hz or 180 Hz monitors, as it approaches the refresh rate ceiling while maintaining good visual quality. The Low preset at 201.9 FPS is only necessary for those with 200 Hz+ displays or esports-focused players.

At 2560x1440, the recommendations shift. The Ultra preset at 79.6 FPS is playable for slower-paced games but may feel less responsive for fast action. The High preset at 97 FPS is a good balance, offering a noticeable improvement in smoothness over Ultra. The Medium preset at 111.3 FPS is the best option for 144 Hz monitors, as it gets close to the refresh rate limit while retaining acceptable visuals. The Low preset at 127.9 FPS is the only one that exceeds 120 FPS, making it the choice for maximum frame rates at this resolution.

For 3840x2160, the data suggests that only the Low preset provides a consistently playable experience, with 72.8 FPS. The Medium preset at 60.6 FPS is borderline, and the High and Ultra presets fall below 50 FPS, which is likely to feel stuttery in a fast-paced FPS. Players with 4K displays should use the Low preset for the best experience, or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for higher frame rates. The measured data indicates that the RX 7600 XT is not well-suited for 4K gaming with this CPU, as even the Low preset does not reach the 100 FPS mark that many players prefer.