I recently inherited a fairly capable desktop with a Ryzen 3 3200G. I'm interested in playing DOOM: The Dark Ages, but the listed minimum CPU is a Zen 2 processor, while the 3200G is based on the older Zen+ architecture. I seem to meet the recommended requirements in other areas, and I have an RTX 2080 Ti for graphics. Will the older four-core CPU be a major problem, or should the game still be playable?
3 Answers
The RTX 2080 Ti should cover the graphics side, and the game does not require ray tracing to be enabled. The CPU is the bigger question: the 3200G is only four cores and four threads, so you may run into lower or less-consistent frame rates, especially in busy scenes. It may still be playable, but I wouldn’t expect the same performance as a newer Zen 2 or later processor.
The integrated graphics on the 3200G would provide a pretty poor experience—likely very low settings and aggressive upscaling—but since you have an RTX 2080 Ti, you should absolutely use that instead. You can also take advantage of the standard game refund window: test it briefly, and return it if performance is unacceptable before exceeding the playtime limit.
Your GPU is more than adequate, so this is a much better situation than trying to use the 3200G’s integrated Vega graphics. The minimum CPU requirement isn’t always a hard cutoff, but the 3200G could limit performance and cause stuttering. If the motherboard supports it, a used Ryzen 5 3600 or another Zen 2-or-newer six-core CPU would be a worthwhile upgrade.
I do have an RTX 2080 Ti, so I’d be using that rather than the integrated graphics. I’d forgotten about the refund option, so I’ll try it and see how the CPU handles it.