Doom

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i3-12100F sits in a tightly clustered group of processors according to the database's average benchmark scores. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core 3 N355, which scores 13,492 compared to the i3-12100F's 13,494, a difference of zero percent. The Intel Core i5-9500 trails by only 0.3 percent with a score of 13,452, while the Intel Core 5 120UL is 0.7 percent ahead at 13,594. The Intel Core i7-1250U rounds out the group at 13,351, which is 1.1 percent behind. These four processors form a performance band where swapping between them would produce nearly identical frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios. The i3-12100F's multi-threaded Cinebench R23 score of 11,860 and single-thread score of 1,674 place it firmly in this mid-range desktop territory, with a percentile ranking of 68 among all CPUs in the database.

On the graphics side, the Intel Arc B390 is an outlier in the opposite direction. Its single recorded 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,482 puts it at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. The nearest rivals are all legacy NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX scores 1,463 (1.3 percent behind), the GeForce 800M scores 1,460 (1.5 percent behind), the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1,446 (2.5 percent behind), and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1,443 (2.7 percent behind). What this means in practice is that the Arc B390 delivers performance comparable to a decade-old entry-level discrete GPU. The gap between the CPU's respectable 68th percentile standing and the GPU's 9th percentile ranking is the defining characteristic of this pairing. The processor is not the bottleneck; the graphics solution is severely constrained relative to modern standards.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern: this combination is overwhelmingly GPU-limited. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces 107 FPS average. Moving to Medium drops that to 93 FPS, High yields 78 FPS, and Ultra settles at 64 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is a 40 percent reduction in frame rate, which tracks with the graphics workload increasing, not with CPU limitations. The i3-12100F's four cores and eight threads are sufficient to feed the Arc B390 even at the highest preset, since the Ultra preset still clears 60 FPS at this resolution.

The resolution scaling tells the same story. At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 69 FPS, while at 3840x2160 the same preset drops to 37 FPS. That is a 46 percent reduction from a 77 percent increase in pixel count, which aligns with GPU-bound behavior. The CPU does not become more strained at higher resolutions; the GPU simply has more pixels to fill. At 4K Ultra, the system falls to 22 FPS average, a figure that no amount of CPU headroom can rescue. The i3-12100F's single-thread performance, as measured by a 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and a Cinebench R15 single-core score of 168, is adequate for this game's engine at all tested configurations. The data indicates that lowering resolution or graphics settings directly translates to FPS gains, which is the signature of a GPU-bound system.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Doom at 1920x1080?

A: Yes. The database records playable performance at all four presets. The Ultra preset averages 64 FPS, High averages 78 FPS, Medium averages 93 FPS, and Low averages 107 FPS.

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: Medium is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS. It averages exactly 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS. High drops to 51 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 41 FPS.

Q: Is 4K playable with this hardware?

A: No. The best result at 3840x2160 is 37 FPS on Low settings. Medium averages 33 FPS, High averages 28 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS. None of these reach the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1,482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The GeForce GT 520MX is 1.3 percent behind, the GeForce 800M is 1.5 percent behind, the GeForce GT 625 OEM is 2.5 percent behind, and the GeForce GT 710 is 2.7 percent behind.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The i3-12100F ranks at the 68th percentile among all CPUs, while the Arc B390 ranks at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. The FPS scaling between settings and resolutions follows GPU workload patterns, not CPU constraints.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1920x1080 Medium settings?

A: The average is 93 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 79 FPS and maximum of 107 FPS.

The Verdict

This PC can run Doom at 1920x1080 with all four presets exceeding the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Ultra preset averages 64 FPS, which means the game runs smoothly at maximum settings for this resolution. At 2560x1440, the system is playable on Low and Medium presets, with Medium averaging exactly 60 FPS. The High preset at 1440p falls short at 51 FPS average, and Ultra produces 41 FPS. At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The Low setting tops out at 37 FPS average, Medium at 33 FPS, High at 28 FPS, and Ultra at 22 FPS. The verdict per resolution is clear: 1080p is fully playable at any settings, 1440p is playable up to Medium, and 4K is not playable under any tested configuration. The combination of a mid-range quad-core CPU and a GPU that ranks near the bottom of the database creates a system that works well at standard HD resolutions but cannot handle higher pixel counts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 107 FPS. Medium averages 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and maximum of 107 FPS. High averages 78 FPS, and Ultra averages 64 FPS. All four presets comfortably exceed the 60 FPS threshold, with even the most demanding setting maintaining a 4 FPS margin above the playable line. The gap between Low and Ultra is 43 FPS, indicating that the graphics settings have a substantial impact on performance but the hardware has enough headroom to absorb it.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 69 FPS. Medium averages 60 FPS exactly, with a minimum of 51 FPS and maximum of 69 FPS. This means Medium is playable on average but can dip below the threshold during intense scenes. High drops to 51 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 41 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 41 percent performance loss, and the system begins to struggle once the pixel count increases by 78 percent over 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 37 FPS. Medium averages 33 FPS with a minimum of 28 FPS and maximum of 37 FPS. High averages 28 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS. No preset at this resolution comes close to the 60 FPS target. The maximum recorded frame rate at 4K is 37 FPS on Low, which is only 62 percent of the playable threshold. The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in resolution roughly halves the performance headroom, and 4K is simply beyond this GPU's capabilities.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, which averages 64 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, and it does so with a 4 FPS margin. The High preset averages 78 FPS, Medium averages 93 FPS, and Low averages 107 FPS, but Ultra provides the maximum visual quality while still clearing the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are Medium, which averages exactly 60 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that maintains the playable threshold on average. The minimum recorded FPS at Medium is 51, so there are moments where the frame rate dips below 60, but the average holds at the threshold. High at 51 FPS and Ultra at 41 FPS are not playable.

At 3840x2160, there is no playable preset. The database records no settings that reach the 60 FPS threshold. The closest is Low at 37 FPS average, which is 23 FPS short of playable. Users targeting 4K would need to accept frame rates well below the standard playable line or reduce the resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and the Intel Arc B390 ranks 3,300 out of 3,712 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the 11th percentile of all recorded system configurations for this game. The ranking reflects the GPU's severe limitation: while the CPU performs at the 68th percentile among all processors, the GPU's 9th percentile standing drags the overall combo down. The system is more capable than roughly 11 percent of tested configurations but falls behind nearly 89 percent of them.

The practical implication is that this combo sits near the bottom of the performance distribution for Doom. The frame rates achieved at 1080p are playable, but the system cannot leverage its CPU strength at higher resolutions. The ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data: the Arc B390's performance profile, comparable to the GeForce GT 710 and similar legacy parts, limits the system to entry-level results. For a game released in 2016, the i3-12100F provides ample processing power, but the graphics solution prevents the system from competing with even mid-range modern GPUs in the database. This is a combo that works for 1080p gaming at any preset, but it has no headroom for higher resolutions or future graphical demands.