Doom

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti delivers a definitive answer for Doom: this combination is overwhelmingly capable, clearing the 60 FPS playability threshold at every tested resolution and preset. The data shows a system that is far more constrained by the CPU at lower resolutions, while the GPU takes over as the primary performance driver at 4K, creating a fascinating dynamic for a 2016 title that still demands modern hardware to run at its absolute maximum settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the performance ceiling is extraordinarily high. With Low settings, the combo produces an average of 311.2 FPS. Moving to Medium yields 274.4 FPS, while High settings still deliver a blistering 228.5 FPS. The most demanding preset, Ultra, produces an average of 186.6 FPS. The scaling pattern here suggests a CPU bottleneck, as the delta between presets is relatively compressed compared to higher resolutions; the difference between Low and Ultra is 124.6 FPS, which is substantial in absolute terms but proportionally less than what the GPU is capable of.

At 2560x1440, the averages remain exceptionally high, though the gap between presets widens. Low settings produce 204.3 FPS, Medium drops to 179.9 FPS, and High settles at 151.6 FPS. Ultra, the most demanding setting, still manages an average of 119.4 FPS. The step from Medium to High is a 28.3 FPS reduction, while moving from High to Ultra costs another 32.2 FPS, indicating that the GPU is beginning to feel the load of additional pixel shading and effects.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low settings yield 110 FPS, Medium drops to 95.5 FPS, and High produces 84.1 FPS. Ultra, the most punishing preset, still clears the 60 FPS threshold with an average of 64.8 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is dramatic: at Ultra, the average FPS drops from 119.4 to 64.8, a reduction of 54.6 FPS. This 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration that comes close to the playability threshold, sitting just 4.8 FPS above it.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, with an average of 186.6 FPS. This is far above the 60 FPS threshold, meaning users can max out every graphical option without concern. The data indicates there is headroom for even higher refresh rate displays, as the average is more than triple the playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is also the best setting, producing an average of 119.4 FPS. This is nearly double the 60 FPS threshold, providing a smooth experience on high refresh rate 1440p monitors. The gap between Ultra and the next tier, High at 151.6 FPS, shows that users have a choice between maximum fidelity and even higher frame rates, but either option is comfortably playable.

At 3840x2160, Ultra remains the best setting, with an average of 64.8 FPS. This is the only resolution where the choice of settings matters critically. While Ultra clears the threshold, the margin is slim. High settings at 84.1 FPS offer a more comfortable buffer, and Medium at 95.5 FPS provides an even safer margin for demanding scenes. The data suggests that 4K Ultra is technically playable, but users seeking consistent performance might prefer High or Medium.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear shift in component roles across resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU is the primary bottleneck. The i3-12100F, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, shows its limits through the compressed scaling between presets. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 124.6 FPS, but the absolute numbers are so high that the CPU cannot feed the GPU fast enough to reach its full potential. This is evident when comparing the 1080p Ultra score of 186.6 FPS to the 1440p Ultra score of 119.4 FPS; the 1080p result should theoretically be higher if the GPU were fully utilized, but the CPU caps it.

At 1440p, the balance shifts toward the GPU. The scaling between presets becomes more pronounced, with a 84.9 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. The GPU is now doing more work per frame, and the CPU has enough headroom to keep up. The i3-12100F’s single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3dmark single-thread score of 893 and cinebench r23 single-core score of 1674, is sufficient to drive the RTX 3080 Ti at this resolution.

At 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting factor. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 45.2 FPS difference, and the absolute numbers drop significantly. The RTX 3080 Ti, with its 34.10 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 912.4 GB/s memory bandwidth, is working at its limits. The CPU is no longer a constraint; the data implies that a faster CPU would not yield meaningful gains at 4K, as the GPU is the bottleneck. This is a classic resolution-dependent scaling pattern, where the CPU-bound regime at 1080p gives way to a GPU-bound regime at 4K.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K with maximum settings?

A: Yes, but narrowly. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 64.8, which clears the 60 FPS playability threshold. However, the margin is only 4.8 FPS, so users should expect occasional dips below 60 FPS in intense scenes.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves?

A: The highest measured average is 311.2 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is more than five times the 60 FPS threshold, indicating extreme headroom for competitive play or high refresh rate displays.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 1080p?

A: The data indicates a CPU bottleneck at 1080p. The i3-12100F, which scores 4023 in 3dmark max threads, cannot fully utilize the RTX 3080 Ti at this resolution. The scaling between presets is compressed, and the absolute FPS numbers, while high, do not reflect the GPU's full potential.

Q: Is there a significant performance drop between 1440p and 4K?

A: Yes, the drop is substantial. At Ultra settings, the average FPS falls from 119.4 at 2560x1440 to 64.8 at 3840x2160, a reduction of 54.6 FPS. This represents a 45.7% decrease in performance, highlighting the GPU's workload at 4K.

Q: What settings should I use for a 144Hz 1440p monitor?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 119.4 FPS, which is below 144 FPS. To hit a 144 Hz refresh rate, users would need to drop to High settings, which yield 151.6 FPS, or Medium at 179.9 FPS.

Q: Does the system ever drop below 60 FPS?

A: Based on the measured averages, no configuration drops below 60 FPS. The lowest average is 64.8 FPS at 4K Ultra. However, the data only provides average FPS, not minimum FPS, so transient dips below 60 FPS cannot be ruled out.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU’s nearest rivals, the Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494. The closest competitor is the Intel Core 3 N355, with a score of 13492 and a deltaPct of 0, meaning they are essentially identical in performance. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452, just 0.3% slower, while the Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594, 0.7% faster. The Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351, 1.1% slower. For this game, any of these CPUs would behave nearly identically to the i3-12100F, as the performance deltas are all within 1.1% of each other. The choice between them would come down to platform features rather than gaming performance.

On the GPU side, the RTX 3080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 41187. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, scoring 40870, which is 0.8% slower. The NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB scores 41707, 1.2% faster, while the standard Tesla M40 scores 41897, 1.7% faster. Interestingly, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 scores 40377, which is 2% slower. In Doom, these GPUs would deliver nearly indistinguishable performance. The Tesla cards are not designed for gaming, but the benchmark data suggests their raw compute power translates to similar frame rates. The RTX 5070, despite being a newer generation, would be slightly slower based on these scores.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti combination ranks 927 out of 3712 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the top 25% of all tested systems, which is impressive given the modest CPU. The ranking reflects the GPU’s dominance in this title; the RTX 3080 Ti is carrying the combination to a high percentile. The i3-12100F’s percentile vs all CPUs is 68, while the GPU’s percentile vs all GPUs is 83, confirming that the GPU is the stronger component in this pairing. The combo’s rank of 927 suggests that while many systems outperform it, a significant majority of tested configurations are slower in this game.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Doom, and it does so with authority. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 1920x1080, all settings are playable, with Ultra achieving 186.6 FPS. At 2560x1440, all settings are playable, with Ultra achieving 119.4 FPS. At 3840x2160, all settings are playable, with Ultra achieving 64.8 FPS. The system clears the 60 FPS threshold at every resolution and preset combination tested. The only caveat is 4K Ultra, which is playable but leaves little headroom. For users with high refresh rate 1080p or 1440p monitors, this combo is overkill in the best possible way. For 4K, it offers a playable experience at maximum settings, though dropping to High or Medium provides a more comfortable margin. The i3-12100F proves to be a capable partner for the RTX 3080 Ti at higher resolutions, and the system’s overall ranking of 927 out of 3712 confirms its status as a high-performance configuration for this iconic FPS.