Doom

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the Intel Arc B580 delivers a surprisingly robust performance profile in Doom, with the data showing a clear scaling pattern that favors lower resolutions and higher settings. At 1920x1080, the combo is overwhelmingly powerful, while 2560x1440 remains highly playable across the board, and 3840x2160 demands compromises. The measured frames per second (FPS) data, derived from actual benchmarks, indicates that this pairing is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming and solid 1440p performance, with 4K being viable only at reduced graphical fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results for this CPU-GPU combination in Doom show a consistent hierarchy across the three tested resolutions, with the differences between settings becoming more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the lowest settings produce an average of 182 FPS, which is exceptional for fast-paced gameplay. Stepping up to Medium reduces the average to 162 FPS, a drop of 20 FPS, while High settings yield 134.5 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset still maintains a very high 112.4 FPS average, indicating that the i3-12100F and Arc B580 combination is never CPU-bound at this resolution, leaving ample headroom for the GPU to render frames quickly.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected impact of increased pixel count. Low settings average 120.4 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium settings deliver 101.8 FPS, while High settings average 88.5 FPS. The Ultra preset, which is the most visually intensive, drops to an average of 69.7 FPS. This demonstrates that even at the highest settings, the combo stays comfortably above the playable mark, though the margin narrows considerably compared to 1080p. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p represents a 50.7 FPS swing, showing that the GPU is handling the increased load.

At 3840x2160, the Arc B580 begins to show its limits, and the settings choice becomes critical. Low settings produce an average of 62.5 FPS, which just clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings drop to 58.6 FPS, which is slightly below the playable mark, and High settings average 46.4 FPS. Ultra settings are the most demanding, yielding only 41.4 FPS. The data reveals a steep performance cliff at 4K, where the difference between Low and Ultra is 21.1 FPS, and only the Low preset provides a consistently smooth experience. No minimum or maximum FPS values are provided in the data, so the analysis relies solely on averages, which for a game like Doom typically indicate solid frame pacing given the high averages.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of all tested system combinations for Doom, the Intel Core i3-12100F and Intel Arc B580 pair ranks 2829 out of 3712 total combos. This places it in the lower half of the performance distribution, which is logical given that the i3-12100F is a budget quad-core processor and the Arc B580 is a mid-range GPU. However, the rank should be interpreted with the game's age and optimization in mind; Doom is well-known for running efficiently on a wide range of hardware, and the absolute FPS numbers are high even if the relative rank is not top-tier. The combo's position suggests that many other systems, likely with higher-end CPUs and GPUs, achieve higher average scores, but the practical gameplay experience remains excellent.

The CPU itself has an average benchmark score of 13494, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core 3 N355 with an average score of 13492 (a 0% delta), the Intel Core i5-9500 at 13452 (0.3% ahead), the Intel Core 5 120UL at 13594 (0.7% behind), and the Intel Core i7-1250U at 13351 (1.1% ahead). These deltas are minuscule, indicating that the i3-12100F performs on par with several other mid-range and older processors, which means the CPU is not a bottleneck in this pairing. The GPU, the Intel Arc B580, has an average benchmark score of 23021, also in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP at 23061 (0.2% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 at 22895 (0.6% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 at 23172 (0.7% behind), and the NVIDIA P106-100 at 23249 (1% behind). This shows the Arc B580 is positioned between older high-end cards like the RTX 2080 and newer mid-range options, making it a capable performer for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Doom at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings?*

A: Yes. The benchmark data shows an average of 112.4 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 2560x1440 to maintain high FPS?

A: The Ultra preset is playable at 2560x1440, with an average of 69.7 FPS. This is the most demanding setting that stays above 60 FPS, making it the best choice for visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

Q: Is 3840x2160 playable with this hardware?

A: Only at Low settings, which produce an average of 62.5 FPS. Medium settings drop to 58.6 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold, so 4K gaming requires a significant reduction in graphical fidelity.

Q: How does the Intel Core i3-12100F compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core 3 N355 (13492) and Intel Core i5-9500 (13452). It is about 1% slower than the Intel Core 5 120UL and 1.1% faster than the Intel Core i7-1250U, showing it is a competitive mid-range CPU.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 at High settings?

A: At 1920x1080, High settings average 134.5 FPS, while at 2560x1440, the same settings average 88.5 FPS. This represents a 46 FPS drop, or about a 34% reduction in performance, when moving to the higher resolution.

Q: Does the Intel Arc B580 outperform the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 in this game?

A: The GPU benchmark scores show the Arc B580 has an average score of 23021, which is 0.6% higher than the RTX 2080's 22895. For Doom specifically, the measured FPS data confirms it is a capable card, but the difference is negligible in real-world terms.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i3-12100F and Intel Arc B580 combination can absolutely run Doom with excellent results, but the experience depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, every preset from Low to Ultra clears the 60 FPS threshold with ease, with Ultra averaging 112.4 FPS and Low reaching 182 FPS. This makes the system ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p. At 2560x1440, the combo remains fully playable across all settings, with Ultra averaging 69.7 FPS and High at 88.5 FPS, offering a great balance of visual quality and smoothness. At 3840x2160, the system is borderline; only Low settings achieve an average of 62.5 FPS, which is playable but leaves little headroom, while Medium drops to 58.6 FPS and High falls to 46.4 FPS. The verdict by resolution is clear: 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 are excellent targets, while 3840x2160 should be reserved for gamers willing to play at Low settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor in determining performance at higher resolutions, while the CPU's role becomes less significant as the pixel count increases. At 1920x1080, the average FPS across all settings is very high, with Low at 182 FPS and Ultra at 112.4 FPS. This wide gap of 69.6 FPS suggests that the GPU is the primary limiter, as even the modest i3-12100F can feed frames fast enough to keep the graphics card busy. The CPU's 4 cores and 8 threads, with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, are sufficient for Doom's engine, which is known for being well-optimized and not heavily multi-threaded.

At 2560x1440, the GPU load increases, and the performance gap between settings narrows slightly: Low averages 120.4 FPS, while Ultra averages 69.7 FPS, a difference of 50.7 FPS. This still points to the GPU being the bottleneck, as the CPU is not showing signs of strain. At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, with Low at 62.5 FPS and Ultra at 41.4 FPS, a 21.1 FPS difference. The CPU's influence is minimal here, as the Arc B580's raw rendering power is what sets the ceiling. The scaling between resolutions and presets confirms that the GPU is the component to upgrade first if the goal is higher FPS at 4K, while the CPU is more than adequate for the lower resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

For the optimal balance of visual quality and performance, the best settings are those that achieve the highest preset while maintaining an average of at least 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear choice, as it delivers an average of 112.4 FPS, which is far above the playable threshold and provides the best image quality. At 2560x1440, Ultra is also the best option, with an average of 69.7 FPS, which is above 60 FPS and allows for a fully immersive experience without worrying about frame drops. At 3840x2160, the situation is different: only Low settings achieve an average of 62.5 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. While Medium is close at 58.6 FPS, it falls short of the playable mark, so Low is the only viable preset for a smooth 4K experience. These recommendations ensure that the system stays above the playable threshold while maximizing the visual fidelity the hardware can handle.