Overpower

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers exceptional performance in Overpower, with measured average frame rates well above the 60 FPS playability threshold across every tested resolution and settings preset. The data shows a system that is entirely GPU-bound at lower resolutions and still remarkably capable at 4K, though the CPU’s four cores begin to impose a measurable ceiling as resolution drops. Benchmark results indicate that this combination ranks in the top 4.3% of all tested configurations for this title, making it a formidable, if unconventional, pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Overpower reveals a clear performance hierarchy that scales predictably with resolution and settings. At 3840x2160, the combination produces an average of 108.3 FPS on the Ultra preset, 132.6 FPS on High, 142.7 FPS on Medium, and 207.3 FPS on Low. The gap between Ultra and Low at 4K is substantial — 99 FPS — indicating that the GPU has ample headroom even at this demanding resolution, and that the most punishing visual settings cost roughly 48% of the frame rate compared to the lowest preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages increase across the board: Ultra delivers 126.3 FPS, High reaches 152.9 FPS, Medium hits 169.1 FPS, and Low climbs to 220.7 FPS. The relative spread between presets narrows slightly compared to 4K, with the delta between Ultra and Low at 94.4 FPS. At 1920x1080, the pattern continues with Ultra at 145.9 FPS, High at 176.3 FPS, Medium at 188.5 FPS, and Low at 229.5 FPS. Notably, the difference between 1080p and 1440p at the same preset is modest — for example, Ultra gains only 19.6 FPS when dropping from 1440p to 1080p — while the jump from 4K to 1440p at Ultra is a larger 18 FPS gain.

The min and max FPS values are not recorded in the data, so analysis relies solely on averages. However, the consistency of the averages across three resolutions and four presets suggests a stable performance envelope. The highest measured average is 229.5 FPS at 1080p Low, and the lowest is 108.3 FPS at 4K Ultra. Every single configuration tested exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold by a wide margin, with the least performant scenario (4K Ultra) still delivering 80% more frames than the minimum playable rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 158th out of 3,713 tested combinations in Overpower, placing it in the 96th percentile of all systems evaluated. This is an exceptionally strong position, especially considering the processor is a budget-oriented quad-core part. The ranking reflects the overwhelming influence of the RTX 4090, which is in the 88th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the i3-12100F sits in the 68th percentile of all CPUs.

The rank of 158 means that roughly 4.3% of tested combos outperform this pairing in Overpower. Given that the RTX 4090 is the flagship of its generation, the systems ahead of this combo likely feature higher-end CPUs that avoid the bottleneck seen at lower resolutions. The data shows that at 4K, the GPU is the dominant factor, and the i3-12100F’s limitations are largely masked by the sheer pixel throughput demanded. At 1080p, however, the CPU becomes a more significant constraint, which explains why the combo does not rank higher despite having one of the fastest consumer GPUs available.

In context, this pairing outperforms the vast majority of systems because the RTX 4090’s raw compute power — 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 and a 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth — overwhelms the demands of Overpower even at Ultra settings. The 4-core, 8-thread i3-12100F, with its 12 MB of L3 cache and 4.30 GHz boost clock, provides enough single-thread performance to feed the GPU at 4K, but its 3DMark 4-thread score of 2859 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11860 indicate where the ceiling lies.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 108.3 FPS. This is the highest visual quality available in the game, and the system clears the playability threshold by a comfortable 48.3 FPS. Lower presets at 4K — High at 132.6 FPS, Medium at 142.7 FPS, and Low at 207.3 FPS — all remain playable, but Ultra offers the full experience without sacrificing smoothness.

For 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again is the best choice, averaging 126.3 FPS. This is 66.3 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, leaving significant headroom for any potential frame-time spikes or background tasks. The High preset at 152.9 FPS, Medium at 169.1 FPS, and Low at 220.7 FPS are all viable, but none provide a better balance of visual fidelity and performance than Ultra.

At 1920x1080, Ultra is the recommended setting, with an average of 145.9 FPS. This is 85.9 FPS above the playability threshold, making it the smoothest Ultra experience among the three resolutions. The data shows that the system can handle the maximum settings at every resolution tested, so the only reason to lower presets would be to chase higher refresh rates on a 144Hz or 240Hz monitor — for example, 1080p Low at 229.5 FPS would be suitable for a 240Hz display.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i3-12100F, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core 3 N355 with a delta of 0%, the Intel Core i5-9500 with a delta of 0.3%, the Intel Core 5 120UL with a delta of -0.7%, and the Intel Core i7-1250U with a delta of 1.1%. These CPUs have nearly identical aggregate performance — the i3-12100F’s average benchmark score is 13494, while the closest rival, the Core 3 N355, scores 13492. In Overpower, swapping the i3-12100F for any of these would produce virtually indistinguishable frame rates, as the GPU remains the limiting factor at 4K and the CPU differences are within a few percent.

For the GPU, the RTX 4090’s nearest rivals are the Intel Arc Pro A60 (delta 0%), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (delta 0.3%), AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (delta -2.5%), and AMD Radeon PRO V710 (delta 2.9%). The RTX 4090’s average benchmark score is 60347, with the Arc Pro A60 at 60326 and the Radeon Pro Vega 48 at 60140. These alternatives are workstation-class GPUs that would perform similarly in Overpower, though none of them match the 4090’s 24 GB of GDDR6X memory or its 1.01 TB/s bandwidth. For gaming purposes, these rivals are not typical consumer choices, but the benchmark data indicates that any of them would deliver comparable FPS in this title when paired with the i3-12100F.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals the division of labor between the CPU and GPU. At 3840x2160, the average FPS for Ultra is 108.3, dropping to 145.9 at 1080p Ultra — a 34.8% increase. This relatively modest gain suggests that the GPU is already near its utilization ceiling at 4K, and the CPU has enough headroom to feed it. In contrast, the difference between 1080p and 1440p at Ultra is only 19.6 FPS (145.9 vs. 126.3), while the jump from 1440p to 4K is 18 FPS (126.3 to 108.3). This linear scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 4090’s performance is the primary driver across all resolutions, with the CPU playing a supporting role.

However, the CPU’s influence becomes apparent when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 229.5 FPS, but at 1440p Low it drops to 220.7 FPS, and at 4K Low it falls to 207.3 FPS. The 22.2 FPS difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low is smaller than the 37.6 FPS difference between 1080p Ultra and 4K Ultra. This suggests that at Low settings, the CPU begins to emerge as a limiting factor — the frame rate cannot scale infinitely with GPU headroom because the i3-12100F’s four cores are maxed out. The 3DMark max-threads score of 4023 and the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11860 confirm that the CPU’s multi-threaded throughput is modest by modern standards, capping the maximum achievable frame rate around 230 FPS regardless of how light the GPU load becomes.

At 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck, as evidenced by the 99 FPS spread between Ultra and Low. At 1080p, the spread narrows to 83.6 FPS, indicating that the CPU is starting to constrain the upper bound. For players seeking maximum frame rates at 1080p, the data suggests that a faster CPU would yield higher averages — the i3-12100F’s single-thread score of 1674 in Cinebench R23 is solid, but not exceptional enough to push past 230 FPS in this title.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Overpower at 4K with maximum settings?*

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 produces an average of 108.3 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves?

A: The highest measured average is 229.5 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems?

A: It ranks 158th out of 3,713 combinations, placing it in the top 4.3% of all tested configurations for Overpower.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The CPU becomes a limiting factor at 1080p, as the frame rate at Low settings (229.5 FPS) is only 22.2 FPS higher than at 4K Low (207.3 FPS), despite the GPU having far less work to do.

Q: Are there any settings that drop below 60 FPS?

A: No. Every resolution and preset combination — from 1080p Low at 229.5 FPS to 4K Ultra at 108.3 FPS — stays above 60 FPS.

Q: What GPU alternatives would perform similarly to the RTX 4090?

A: The Intel Arc Pro A60, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48, AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, and AMD Radeon PRO V710 all have average benchmark scores within 2.9% of the RTX 4090.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is unambiguous: this PC can run Overpower at every resolution and preset tested, with all configurations clearing the 60 FPS playability threshold. At 3840x2160, the best settings are Ultra, averaging 108.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra is also the best, averaging 126.3 FPS. At 1920x1080, Ultra delivers 145.9 FPS. The data shows that the RTX 4090 provides overwhelming GPU horsepower, while the i3-12100F, despite its modest quad-core design, is sufficient to maintain playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra. The only caveat is that the CPU prevents the system from fully exploiting the GPU’s potential at 1080p, where a stronger processor would unlock higher frame rates beyond the 229.5 FPS ceiling observed. For standard 60Hz or 144Hz displays, this pairing is more than adequate; for 240Hz esports monitors at 1080p, the CPU would need an upgrade. Overall, the combination ranks 158th out of 3,713 tested combos, confirming it as a top-tier performer for this title.