Doom

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is an extreme pairing that delivers overwhelming performance in Doom, clearing the 60 FPS threshold at every resolution and preset tested, including 4K Ultra at 99.8 FPS. This combination ranks 120th out of 3,712 tested combos, placing it in the top 3.2% of all configurations. The data shows that while the RTX 5090 is the dominant force driving frame rates, the quad-core i3-12100F does not bottleneck the GPU in this title, even at 1080p where CPU load is typically highest.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset this combo can run at 4K in Doom?

A: The verdict data lists Ultra as the best playable setting at 3840x2160, with an average FPS of 99.8. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are marked as playable at this resolution.

Q: How much performance drops when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS falls from 278 at 1920x1080 to 180.6 at 2560x1440, a reduction of roughly 35%. The drop from 1440p to 4K Ultra is steeper, falling to 99.8 FPS, which is about 45% lower than the 1440p result.

Q: Does the RTX 5090's benchmark score indicate it is a top-tier GPU?

A: The GPU sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79,842. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, scores 79,605, a delta of just 0.3%, showing the 5090 is statistically tied with that professional-grade card in aggregate benchmarks.

Q: Is the Core i3-12100F a weak link for this game?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 13,494, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core 3 N355 with a score of 13,492 (0% delta), indicating the i3 performs on par with that chip. In Doom, the measured FPS shows no CPU-related ceiling, as even 1080p Low hits 360.8 FPS.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of this GPU?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has a launch MSRP of 1,999 USD. No pricing information for the CPU or the overall system is provided in the data.

Q: Which preset is the most demanding that still stays above 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Ultra is the most demanding preset at 2560x1440, and it delivers 180.6 FPS on average, far exceeding the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data confirms all presets at this resolution are playable.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results reveal a clear division of labor between the Intel Core i3-12100F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 in Doom. Across all three resolutions, the GPU is the primary performance driver, with frame rates scaling dramatically as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo produces 360.8 FPS; at 2560x1440 Low, it drops to 300.7 FPS; and at 3840x2160 Low, it falls to 161.2 FPS. This pattern, where higher resolutions reduce FPS, is classic GPU-bound behavior, confirming that the RTX 5090's rendering capabilities are the limiting factor.

The CPU's role is more subtle but still relevant. At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra settings is 82.8 FPS (360.8 vs 278), which is smaller than the 139.5 FPS gap seen at 4K (161.2 vs 99.8). This suggests that at lower resolutions, the i3-12100F's four cores (8 threads) are able to feed the GPU adequately, but the GPU still has headroom to push higher frame rates. The fact that 1080p Low reaches 360.8 FPS indicates the CPU can sustain very high frame rates, though the single-thread benchmark score of 893 (3dmark) and multi-thread score of 4,023 (3dmark max threads) show it is not a high-end part.

At 4K, the GPU's workload becomes the dominant factor. The difference between Low and Ultra at 3840x2160 is 61.4 FPS, which is significant but proportionally smaller than the 1440p gap of 120.1 FPS (300.7 to 180.6). This indicates that at 4K, the RTX 5090 is so heavily loaded that the CPU's performance ceiling is rarely approached. The data suggests that for this game, the GPU matters more at every resolution, but the CPU becomes relatively less important as resolution increases. The Core i3-12100F, with its 68th percentile ranking, is sufficient to avoid becoming a bottleneck in Doom, but it would likely limit performance in more CPU-intensive titles.

Best Settings per Resolution

The measured FPS data allows for a precise recommendation of the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS at each resolution. The verdict data confirms that all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at every resolution, meaning the best setting is always Ultra.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 278 FPS on average. This is the highest preset available, and it still leaves enormous headroom above the 60 FPS threshold. For players with high-refresh-rate monitors, this combo can easily drive 240 Hz displays at 1080p with maximum settings.

At 2560x1440, Ultra remains the best choice, producing 180.6 FPS. This is more than 3x the playable threshold, ensuring smooth gameplay even in intense firefights. The gap between Ultra and High at this resolution is 40 FPS (180.6 vs 220.6), which is notable but does not affect playability.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset still holds at 99.8 FPS, which is comfortably above 60 FPS. This is the most demanding scenario tested, and the combo passes with ease. The data shows that even at 4K, there is no need to compromise on visual quality; the RTX 5090's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are more than sufficient for Doom's textures and geometry.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for what other hardware would deliver similar results in this combo. For the Intel Core i3-12100F, the closest match is the Intel Core 3 N355, with an average benchmark score of 13,492 versus the i3's 13,494, a delta of 0%. This means swapping the i3-12100F for the Core 3 N355 would result in virtually identical CPU performance in Doom, assuming the same GPU. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13,452 (0.3% lower), and the Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13,594 (0.7% higher), both of which are within a 1% performance band. The Intel Core i7-1250U is slightly slower at 13,351 (1.1% lower). These alternatives would all behave similarly in this game, with no meaningful difference in frame rates.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090's nearest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, which scores 79,605 versus the 5090's 79,842, a delta of 0.3%. This is a statistical tie, meaning that in aggregate benchmarks, the Tesla P100 would produce nearly identical FPS in Doom. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB is also close at 79,396 (0.6% lower), and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940 (1.1% lower). The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is slightly faster at 80,959 (1.4% higher). None of these rivals would change the overall verdict: the combo would still easily clear 60 FPS at all resolutions and presets.

Combining these findings, a system with a Core 3 N355 or i5-9500 and a Tesla P100 would deliver essentially the same Doom experience as the tested combo. The performance headroom is so large that even a 1.4% slower GPU or a 0.7% faster CPU would not alter the playability conclusions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 120th out of 3,712 tested combinations in Doom, placing it in the top 3.2% of all configurations in the benchmark database. This rank reflects the overwhelming GPU performance of the RTX 5090, which sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, combined with the adequate but not exceptional CPU performance of the i3-12100F, which is in the 68th percentile. The rank of 120 is notable because it is lower than what the GPU alone would suggest, indicating that the CPU's modest standing pulls the overall combo down slightly. However, in Doom specifically, the measured FPS shows that this rank does not translate into any practical limitation, as the game is not CPU-bound at any tested resolution.

The data shows that the combo's rank is driven by the GPU's dominance. The RTX 5090's average benchmark score of 79,842 is nearly 6x higher than the CPU's average of 13,494, and this asymmetry is reflected in the frame rates. In games that are more CPU-intensive, this rank would likely be lower, but for Doom, the 120th position is more than sufficient for a top-tier experience. The 3,712 combos in the database include many with higher-ranked CPUs and lower-ranked GPUs, and the measured FPS in Doom would likely show those combos performing worse due to GPU limitations.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Doom, and the data shows it does so with exceptional headroom at every resolution. The verdict by resolution is unambiguous: all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at 1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160, all exceeding the 60 FPS threshold.

At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 278 FPS, which is 4.6x the playable threshold. At 1440p, Ultra provides 180.6 FPS, still 3x above 60 FPS. At 4K, the most demanding scenario, Ultra maintains 99.8 FPS, which is 66% higher than the 60 FPS minimum. This means players can max out all settings without any concern for performance drops.

The Core i3-12100F, despite being a budget quad-core part, does not hinder the RTX 5090 in this title. The 1080p Low result of 360.8 FPS is the highest measured value, showing that the CPU can sustain very high frame rates when the GPU has less work. The 4K results confirm that the GPU is the bottleneck, as expected, but the CPU still provides enough throughput to avoid stutters or frame-time spikes.

In conclusion, the Intel Core i3-12100F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a viable, high-performance combination for Doom. It delivers a flawless experience at 1080p and 1440p with max settings, and at 4K Ultra, it still provides nearly 100 FPS, making it an excellent choice for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming. The only caveat is that this combo's rank of 120th out of 3,712 suggests that in other, more CPU-demanding games, the i3-12100F might become a limiting factor, but for Doom specifically, the verdict is unequivocal: this system runs the game exceptionally well.