Minimum

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT delivers a playable experience in Minimum at all three tested resolutions, provided you select the right settings. At 4K, the combination only hits the 60 FPS threshold on Low settings, while 1440p opens up High settings for smooth play, and 1080p allows for maximum Ultra settings. The data shows a clear pattern: this combo is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p, comfortable 60+ FPS gameplay at 1440p on high presets, and only entry-level playability at 2160p.

Best Settings per Resolution

1920x1080 (1080p): The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 84.3 FPS. This is the best possible setting for this resolution, as all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) remain playable. The headroom above the 60 FPS threshold is substantial, giving you room for demanding scenes without dropping below playability.

2560x1440 (1440p): The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 75.2 FPS. Medium also clears the threshold at 88.4 FPS, and Low runs at 111.7 FPS. Ultra falls just short of playability at 58.5 FPS, so you must step down one preset level to maintain smooth gameplay.

3840x2160 (4K): The only preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 62.6 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that remains playable, but the margin is thin — just 2.6 FPS above the threshold. High (40 FPS) and Medium (47.1 FPS) are noticeably below playable, while Ultra (27.8 FPS) is severely constrained. For 4K, you are locked to the lowest settings for a consistent experience.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate a significant shift in component responsibility as resolution changes. At 1080p, the system is heavily GPU-bound at lower presets but shows scaling that suggests the CPU can keep up with high frame rates. The jump from Low (175.1 FPS) to Medium (135.6 FPS) represents a 22.5% drop, while High (112.6 FPS) and Ultra (84.3 FPS) continue that downward trend. This scaling is consistent with the GPU being the primary limiter, as the i3-12100F’s single-thread performance (3dmark single-thread score of 893) is sufficient to feed these frame rates.

At 1440p, the GPU’s role becomes more pronounced. The performance deltas between presets are similar in percentage terms to 1080p — Low (111.7 FPS) to Medium (88.4 FPS) is a 20.8% reduction — but the absolute numbers are lower, indicating that the RX 7600 XT is working harder. The CPU’s influence diminishes further, as the frame rates are lower than the 1080p results, meaning the GPU is no longer able to output frames as quickly.

At 4K, the GPU is almost entirely the bottleneck. The scores drop dramatically: Ultra (27.8 FPS) is 67.4% slower than Low (62.6 FPS). The CPU’s role is minimal here, as even the fastest preset cannot push beyond 62.6 FPS. The data shows that the i3-12100F is never the limiting factor at 4K, but it also cannot compensate for the GPU’s memory bandwidth constraints at this resolution.

The scaling pattern across resolutions — 1080p to 1440p to 4K — shows that the RX 7600 XT’s 16 GB GDDR6 memory and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are the defining characteristics. At 1080p, the GPU has spare capacity; at 4K, it is saturated. The CPU’s 4 cores and 8 threads (with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11860) are adequate for all resolutions, but the game’s demands at 4K are purely on the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: 175.1 avg
• Medium: 135.6 avg
• High: 112.6 avg
• Ultra: 84.3 avg

The 1080p results show a wide spread from Low to Ultra, with each preset step costing roughly 20-30 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 90.8 FPS, indicating that settings have a massive impact at this resolution. All presets are far above the 60 FPS threshold, with even Ultra providing a 40.5% margin over playability.

2560x1440:

• Low: 111.7 avg
• Medium: 88.4 avg
• High: 75.2 avg
• Ultra: 58.5 avg

At 1440p, the spread narrows slightly in absolute terms but remains significant. Low is nearly double Ultra’s frame rate. The drop from High to Ultra is 16.7 FPS, which pushes Ultra below the 60 FPS line. Medium and High both provide comfortable margins, with High being 25.3% above the threshold.

3840x2160:

• Low: 62.6 avg
• Medium: 47.1 avg
• High: 40 avg
• Ultra: 27.8 avg

The 4K results are the most constrained. Low barely clears 60 FPS, while every other preset is below playable. The difference between Low and Ultra is 34.8 FPS, and even Medium is 12.9 FPS short of the threshold. This resolution clearly demands lower settings for this combo.

Similar Performance Alternatives

CPU Rivals: The Intel Core i3-12100F (avg benchmark score 13494) sits near several alternatives in terms of overall performance. The Intel Core 3 N355 (avg score 13492) is effectively identical, with a 0% delta. The Intel Core i5-9500 (avg score 13452) is 0.3% slower, meaning you would see virtually no difference in Minimum. The Intel Core 5 120UL (avg score 13594) is 0.7% faster, and the Intel Core i7-1250U (avg score 13351) is 1.1% slower. In practical terms, any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in this game, as the game’s demands are well within the capabilities of all four processors.

GPU Rivals: The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (avg benchmark score 17083) has close competitors that would behave similarly. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (avg score 17037) is 0.3% slower, which is within measurement noise. The AMD Radeon HD 7970M (avg score 17019) is 0.4% slower, and the NVIDIA Tesla M4 (avg score 16932) is 0.9% slower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 (avg score 17208) is 0.7% faster. For Minimum, swapping to any of these GPUs would yield FPS numbers within a couple of frames of the RX 7600 XT, since the benchmark scores are so closely clustered.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT ranks 2447 out of 3712 combinations for Minimum. This places it in the 34th percentile of all tested combos (100 - (2447/3712)*100 = 34.1%). The rank reflects that while this combo is perfectly playable at 1080p and 1440p, it struggles at 4K, which drags down its overall standing. The GPU’s 60th percentile vs all GPUs and CPU’s 68th percentile vs all CPUs suggest a balanced pairing, but the 4K results show that the GPU is the limiting factor for high-resolution play.

The combo’s rank is driven by the 4K performance, where only Low settings are playable. At 1080p and 1440p, the combo would rank much higher, as it delivers 60+ FPS on the highest presets at 1080p and on High at 1440p. For a game released in 2014, this hardware is more than adequate for standard resolutions, but the rank reflects the full spectrum of tested resolutions.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Minimum at 1080p on Ultra settings?*

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 84.3 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p if I want to stay above 60 FPS?

A: High settings at 2560x1440 provide an average of 75.2 FPS. Ultra drops to 58.5 FPS, which is below the playable threshold.

Q: Is 4K playable at all with this hardware?

A: Yes, but only on Low settings, which achieve an average of 62.6 FPS at 3840x2160. All other presets fall below 60 FPS.

Q: How much faster is 1080p Low compared to 4K Low?

A: 1080p Low averages 175.1 FPS, while 4K Low averages 62.6 FPS. That is a 112.5 FPS difference, showing the massive impact of resolution on this GPU.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more at 4K?

A: The data shows the GPU is the primary limiter at 4K. The CPU’s benchmark scores (e.g., Cinebench R23 multicore 11860) are sufficient, but the GPU’s frame rates drop sharply as resolution increases, indicating GPU saturation.

Q: What GPU would perform nearly identically to the RX 7600 XT in this game?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, which is 0.7% faster than the RX 7600 XT’s 17083. The GTX 690 (score 17037) is 0.3% slower, meaning you would see almost no FPS difference with either card.