Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 remains one of the most demanding titles in the benchmark suite, and the pairing of the Intel Core i3-12100F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 produces a distinctive performance profile. The data indicates a configuration where the GPU is the dominant force, yet the CPU’s four physical cores introduce specific bottlenecks at lower resolutions. This analysis examines the measured frames per second (FPS) across three resolutions and four quality presets, interpreting what the numbers reveal about system balance and playability.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable trend as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop is heavily influenced by the CPU's limitations. At 1920x1080, the average FPS across all settings is remarkably high, ranging from 88 FPS on Ultra to 112 FPS on Low. Moving to 2560x1440, these figures decrease, with the High preset dropping from 89 to 75 FPS, a reduction of approximately 15.7%. The Ultra preset falls from 88 to 71 FPS, a 19.3% decline. The most significant scaling occurs when transitioning to 3840x2160, where the High preset plummets to 50 FPS, a 33.3% drop from its 1440p counterpart, and Ultra sinks to 47 FPS.

This scaling pattern is instructive. At 1080p, the frame rates are so high that the rendering workload is insufficient to keep the RTX 4080 fully occupied; the Core i3-12100F becomes the limiting factor. The 12100F’s 4 cores and 8 threads, with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, cap the number of draw calls and physics calculations the game can feed to the GPU. The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is the primary bottleneck, as evidenced by the relatively small gap between Low (112 FPS) and Ultra (88 FPS) settings—only a 21.4% difference. A GPU-bound scenario would show a much larger spread between these presets.

As resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the pixel count and shading load grow, shifting the bottleneck toward the GPU. The RTX 4080’s 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth become more relevant. The drop from 1440p to 4K is steep, indicating that the GPU is now working at its limit. The fact that Low at 4K (88 FPS) is nearly identical to High at 1080p (89 FPS) suggests that the CPU headroom is sufficient at 4K Low, but the GPU is the limiting factor at higher presets. The data shows that 4K Ultra produces 47 FPS, which is only slightly below 4K High (50 FPS), further confirming that the GPU is saturated and the CPU is not the primary constraint at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy for optimizing the balance between visual quality and frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 88 FPS, while High yields 89 FPS. The difference is negligible—a single frame per second—so the Ultra preset is effectively free performance-wise. The Medium preset at 100 FPS offers a 12.5% improvement over Ultra, but the visual fidelity loss is likely significant given the game’s density. For 1080p, the data supports using Ultra, as the CPU bottleneck prevents any meaningful gains from dropping to High.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts. The Ultra preset averages 71 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The High preset at 75 FPS is only 5.6% faster, suggesting that the GPU is the limiting factor. However, the Medium preset at 90 FPS represents a 21.1% improvement over High, making it the best choice for maintaining a smooth experience above 60 FPS. The Low preset at 101 FPS is the fastest, but the visual compromise is substantial. The data indicates that Medium is the sweet spot at 1440p, offering a significant frame rate boost without the harsh reductions of Low.

The 4K resolution presents the most challenging trade-offs. Ultra averages 47 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for many players. High at 50 FPS is only marginally better. Medium at 67 FPS is the first preset to cross the 60 FPS threshold, providing a 34% improvement over High. This makes Medium the recommended preset for 4K gaming with this combo. Low at 88 FPS is exceptionally fast but likely degrades the visual experience to a point that undermines the purpose of 4K. The data strongly suggests that Medium at 4K is the optimal balance, as it leverages the GPU’s capabilities without being limited by the CPU’s 4-core architecture.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the clear performance driver in this configuration. Its specifications—16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s—are more than sufficient for Cyberpunk 2077’s high-resolution textures and ray-traced effects. The GPU’s boost clock of 2505 MHz and 9728 shading units provide massive compute throughput, as reflected in its passmark G3D score of 34457, which places it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, has an average score of 54209, a delta of 0.1%, indicating that the standard 4080 is virtually identical in raw performance.

In the measured FPS data, the GPU’s role becomes evident when comparing the Low and Ultra presets at 4K. The difference between 88 FPS (Low) and 47 FPS (Ultra) is 46.6%, demonstrating that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting as settings increase. The 16 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor in any of the tested configurations, as even the Ultra preset does not show signs of memory-related stuttering or frame drops. The GPU’s 320 W TDP and 700 W suggested PSU indicate that it is a power-hungry component, but the benchmark data shows no thermal throttling or performance degradation.

The RTX 4080’s architecture, Ada Lovelace, includes 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores, which are crucial for Cyberpunk 2077’s path-traced lighting and DLSS features. While the measured FPS data does not isolate ray tracing performance, the overall scores suggest that the GPU is well-equipped for the game’s demands. The GPU’s percentile rank of 86 and average benchmark score of 54247 place it in the upper echelon, but the CPU pairing prevents it from achieving its full potential at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all combinations. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 112 FPS, Medium 100 FPS (with a minimum of 85 and maximum of 115), High 89 FPS, and Ultra 88 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 24 FPS, or 21.4%, which is narrower than what a fully GPU-bound system would exhibit. The 1080p Medium preset shows a minimum of 85 FPS, indicating that even the CPU bottleneck does not cause severe frame drops.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 101 FPS, Medium 90 FPS (minimum 77, maximum 104), High 75 FPS, and Ultra 71 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 30 FPS, or 29.7%, which is larger than at 1080p, showing that the GPU is becoming more involved. The Medium preset’s minimum of 77 FPS is still above the 60 FPS threshold, making it a reliable choice for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 88 FPS, Medium 67 FPS (minimum 57, maximum 77), High 50 FPS, and Ultra 47 FPS. The transition from Medium to High is particularly steep—a 25.4% drop—highlighting the GPU’s struggle with the higher preset’s additional effects. The Medium preset’s minimum of 57 FPS is below 60, suggesting that there may be occasional stutters, but the average of 67 FPS is acceptable. The Ultra preset’s 47 FPS is the lowest measured value, and the data shows no minimum or maximum for this setting, indicating that the frame times are likely consistent but low.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 454th out of 3716 tested combos in Cyberpunk 2077, placing it in the top 12.2% of all configurations. This ranking is notable given the CPU’s modest specifications. The i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355, has a delta of 0%, indicating that the 12100F is marginally faster but effectively in the same performance class. The Core i5-9500 is also close, with a delta of 0.3%.

The GPU’s ranking is higher, with an average score of 54247 placing it in the 86th percentile. The nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, has a delta of 0.1%, meaning the two GPUs are virtually indistinguishable. The combo’s 454th rank out of 3716 suggests that while the GPU is powerful, the CPU drags the overall performance down, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU bottleneck is most pronounced. The data shows that this combo is not optimal for 1080p gaming, as the GPU is underutilized, but it is well-suited for 4K where the GPU is the limiting factor.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K Ultra settings for this combo?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 47 FPS.

Q: Does the Intel Core i3-12100F bottleneck the RTX 4080 in this game?

A: Yes, the data indicates a CPU bottleneck at 1080p, where the FPS difference between Low and Ultra is only 21.4%, suggesting the 4-core CPU limits the GPU’s potential.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming with this configuration?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 averages 90 FPS, which is 21.1% faster than High (75 FPS) and provides a smooth experience above 60 FPS.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 4080 have, and is it sufficient for Cyberpunk 2077?

A: The RTX 4080 has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory. The benchmark data shows no signs of VRAM limitations at any tested setting or resolution.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested configurations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 454th out of 3716 tested combos, placing it in the top 12.2% of all systems.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 significantly faster than its closest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: No, the data shows a delta of 0.1% in average benchmark scores, meaning the two GPUs are virtually identical in performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its benchmark scores are modest, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11860 and a single-core score of 1674. The CPU’s passmark multithread score of 14015 places it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, but its nearest rivals are similar in performance, with the Core 3 N355 having a delta of 0% and the Core i5-9500 at 0.3%.

In Cyberpunk 2077, the CPU’s role is primarily to manage game logic, AI, and draw calls. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is the bottleneck, as the FPS does not scale significantly with settings. The difference between Low (112 FPS) and Ultra (88 FPS) is only 24 FPS, indicating that the CPU cannot feed the GPU fast enough. The 4-core design, with 8 threads, is sufficient for the game’s single-threaded performance, but the lack of additional cores limits multi-threaded scaling.

At 1440p and 4K, the CPU’s influence diminishes as the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The data shows that the FPS drops are consistent with GPU-bound rendering, and the CPU’s 12 MB of shared L3 cache is adequate for the game’s data requirements. The CPU’s TDP of 58 W is low, but the benchmark results show no signs of thermal throttling. The i3-12100F’s performance is adequate for maintaining playable frame rates, but the data clearly indicates that it is the weaker link in this pairing, preventing the RTX 4080 from achieving its full potential at lower resolutions.