Minimum

The Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination delivers a clear performance picture for Minimum: it is thoroughly capable at 1080p and 1440p, but only marginally playable at 4K. The measured data shows a system that scales predictably with resolution and settings, with the GPU becoming the primary constraint as resolution increases.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides average FPS for four settings presets across three resolutions. No minimum or maximum frame rate data is available in the dataset, so the analysis relies on average FPS figures.

At 1920x1080, the system is never below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Low settings produce an average of 178.5 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combination. Medium settings average 137.5 FPS, High settings average 117 FPS, and even the most demanding Ultra preset maintains an average of 89.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 89.3 FPS, showing that the GPU has substantial headroom at this resolution even when settings are maxed out.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance drops but remains solid. Low settings average 112.8 FPS, Medium averages 89.2 FPS, and High averages 75.1 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 58.6 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent reduction: Low drops from 178.5 to 112.8 FPS (a 36.8% reduction), Medium drops from 137.5 to 89.2 FPS (35.1% reduction), and High drops from 117 to 75.1 FPS (35.8% reduction). Ultra drops from 89.2 to 58.6 FPS, a 34.3% reduction.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles with higher presets. Low settings average 60.3 FPS, which barely clears the playable threshold. Medium averages 47.1 FPS, High averages 38.4 FPS, and Ultra averages 28.9 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is severe: Low drops from 112.8 to 60.3 FPS (46.5% reduction), Medium drops from 89.2 to 47.1 FPS (47.2% reduction), High drops from 75.1 to 38.4 FPS (48.9% reduction), and Ultra drops from 58.6 to 28.9 FPS (50.7% reduction). This indicates that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor at 4K, as the performance penalty closely tracks the pixel count increase.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS varies by resolution, and the data shows a clear pattern.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 89.2 FPS. This is 29.2 FPS above the playable threshold, providing comfortable headroom for demanding scenes. Every preset at this resolution clears 60 FPS, so users can prioritize visual quality without worrying about playability.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the most demanding option that maintains 60 FPS, averaging 75.1 FPS. The Ultra preset falls short at 58.6 FPS, so High is the recommended ceiling. Medium averages 89.2 FPS and Low averages 112.8 FPS, both of which are also playable but offer less visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset clears 60 FPS, averaging exactly 60.3 FPS. This is a razor-thin margin of just 0.3 FPS above the threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below playable levels, averaging 47.1, 38.4, and 28.9 FPS respectively. The data indicates that 4K is only viable with Low settings, and even then the margin is minimal.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the dominant factor in Minimum's performance, though the CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings.

Evidence for GPU dominance comes from the scaling between resolutions. From 1080p to 1440p, the frame rate reduction is roughly 35% across all presets. From 1440p to 4K, the reduction ranges from 46.5% to 50.7%. This near-linear scaling with pixel count is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's workload—geometry, draw calls, and game logic—does not scale with resolution, so the consistent drops indicate that the graphics card is the bottleneck.

The CPU's influence shows at high frame rates with low settings. At 1080p Low, the system averages 178.5 FPS. This is a very high frame rate that requires strong single-thread performance. The Intel Core i3-12100F has a boost clock of 4.30 GHz and scores 1674 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which places it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. The data suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at these frame rates, as the 1440p Low score of 112.8 FPS represents a 36.8% drop, which is consistent with GPU limitations rather than CPU stalls.

At 4K, the GPU's role becomes even more pronounced. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 31.4 FPS (from 60.3 to 28.9), while at 1080p the difference is 89.3 FPS (from 178.5 to 89.2). This compression at higher resolutions is a classic sign of GPU saturation—the graphics card is fully utilized at 4K, so settings changes have a smaller absolute effect. The CPU, which is idle waiting for the GPU, has minimal impact at this resolution.

The Verdict

According to the verdict data, this system can run Minimum with playable frame rates at all three tested resolutions, but only under specific settings.

At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable. All four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—produce average FPS above 60. The Ultra preset averages 89.2 FPS, which is the best playable setting. This is the resolution where the system has the most headroom.

At 2560x1440, the system remains capable with three playable presets. High settings average 75.1 FPS, which is the best playable option. Ultra falls to 58.6 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold. Users who want Ultra at 1440p would need to accept a frame rate that is 1.4 FPS below the playable standard, which may be noticeable in fast-paced third-person shooter gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the system is only marginally playable. The Low preset averages 60.3 FPS, which is 0.3 FPS above the threshold. This is technically playable, but there is no margin for demanding scenes or frame time spikes. Medium, High, and Ultra all fail to meet the 60 FPS standard. The verdict data confirms that Low is the only playable setting at 4K.

Overall, this combination is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming. At 4K, it works only with Low settings and with a very slim margin above the playable threshold.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for what other hardware would behave similarly.

For the Intel Core i3-12100F, the nearest rival is the Intel Core 3 N355, with an average benchmark score of 13492 compared to 13494 for the i3-12100F, a delta of 0%. This means the Core 3 N355 would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance. Other close rivals include the Intel Core i5-9500 (avg score 13452, delta 0.3%) and the Intel Core 5 120UL (avg score 13594, delta -0.7%). The Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351, which is 1.1% lower. These CPUs would all provide similar frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios, though the i3-12100F's 4 cores and 8 threads with a 4.30 GHz boost clock give it a slight edge in single-threaded tasks.

For the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT, the nearest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla K40m, with an average score of 19885 versus 19765 for the RX 6650 XT, a delta of -0.6%. This means the Tesla K40m would perform within 0.6% of the RX 6650 XT in this game. The AMD FirePro D300 scores 19637 (delta 0.7%), the AMD FirePro W7000 scores 19905 (delta -0.7%), and the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 scores 19602 (delta 0.8%). All of these GPUs would deliver very similar frame rates, though the RX 6650 XT's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 280.3 GB/s bandwidth give it an advantage in texture-heavy scenes.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Minimum at 1080p with Ultra settings?*

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 89.2 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the best playable setting at this resolution.

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 1440p?

A: High settings average 75.1 FPS at 2560x1440, making them the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 58.6 FPS, which is just below the playable threshold.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: Only with Low settings. The average FPS at 3840x2160 with Low is 60.3, which barely clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 47.1 FPS, High averages 38.4 FPS, and Ultra averages 28.9 FPS, all of which are below playable levels.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494, while its nearest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355, scores 13492, a difference of 0%. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452, which is 0.3% lower.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT has an average benchmark score of 19765. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla K40m, scores 19885, which is 0.6% higher. The AMD FirePro D300 scores 19637, which is 0.7% lower.

Q: What happens to performance when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: Frame rates drop by approximately 35% across all settings. For example, Low settings drop from 178.5 FPS at 1080p to 112.8 FPS at 1440p, and High settings drop from 117 FPS to 75.1 FPS. This consistent reduction indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck.