Doom

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT delivers a remarkably fluid experience in Doom, but the data reveals a clear hierarchy: this is a GPU-bound pairing at 4K, a balanced setup at 1440p, and a CPU-limited one at 1080p. The measured results show the combo ranks 757th out of 1681 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of systems, which is a strong showing for a 4-core processor driving a modern RDNA 3 graphics card.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and tells the story of a system transitioning from CPU to GPU limitation. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 191 FPS, but at 4K High, it falls to 65.4 FPS—a reduction of roughly 66%. This indicates that at 1080p, the Core i3-12100F is the limiting factor, preventing the RX 7700 XT from fully stretching its legs; at 4K, the GPU's rendering load becomes dominant.

The scaling pattern across settings confirms this. At 1080p Low, the system hits 261.2 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 92.7 FPS—a 64.5% decline. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 102.9 FPS (from 261.2 down to 158.3), while the same comparison at 4K shows a smaller absolute gap of 40.2 FPS (from 92.7 down to 52.5). This compression at higher resolutions is the classic signature of GPU saturation. When the resolution increases, the pixel throughput demand grows, and the RX 7700 XT's 432.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 244.2 GPixel/s pixel rate become the bottleneck, rather than the CPU's four cores.

The 1440p results sit comfortably in between, with High settings producing 124.2 FPS and Ultra hitting 100.1 FPS. This resolution represents the sweet spot where neither component is severely overwhelmed, offering a balanced workload that keeps both the CPU and GPU active. The data suggests that users targeting 4K will see the GPU working hardest, while 1080p users are likely leaving performance on the table due to the processor's limits.

CPU Role

The Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its benchmark scores show strong single-thread performance—a Geekbench single-core score of 2224 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1681—which is critical for Doom's engine, known for its reliance on a few heavily utilized threads. The multi-threaded results, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11912, are respectable for a quad-core, but they pale in comparison to higher-core-count rivals.

The data shows this CPU sits at the 72nd percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 13516. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, which scores 13534 (a 0.1% difference), and the Intel Core i7-7700K at 13280 (1.8% slower). This clustering indicates that the i3-12100F's raw compute power is comparable to much older or more expensive parts, but its four physical cores limit its ceiling in heavily threaded scenarios.

In Doom, the CPU's impact is most visible at 1080p. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p only reduces FPS from 261.2 to 158.3, but the fact that Low cannot exceed 261.2 FPS suggests the CPU is capping performance before the GPU can run free. At 4K, the CPU's role diminishes; the difference between Low and Ultra is 40.2 FPS, showing that the GPU's rendering cost dominates the frame time. The 4-core design with 8 threads is sufficient to feed the GPU at 1440p and 4K, but at 1080p, the processor becomes the primary constraint, preventing the RX 7700 XT from achieving its full potential.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data points to High settings as the optimal balance for this combo across all resolutions. At 1080p, High yields 191 FPS, which is 39 FPS lower than Low but still far above any refresh-rate threshold, while offering significantly better visual quality. At 1440p, High delivers 124.2 FPS, a comfortable margin over the 100 FPS mark that many gamers consider the minimum for smooth play. At 4K, High produces 65.4 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play.

Ultra settings are the most demanding, dropping performance to 158.3 FPS at 1080p, 100.1 FPS at 1440p, and 52.5 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra figure falls below 60 FPS, making it a poor choice for this resolution unless the user prioritizes visuals over frame rate. Conversely, Low settings at 4K still produce 92.7 FPS, which is surprisingly high and indicates that even at the lowest quality, the RX 7700 XT can handle 4K in this title.

Medium settings offer a middle ground: 230 FPS at 1080p, 147.4 FPS at 1440p, and 81.9 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that Medium is the best choice for 4K users who want to stay above 80 FPS, while High is the recommended preset for 1440p and 1080p users seeking a balance between visual fidelity and performance headroom. The 4K Ultra result of 52.5 FPS is the only measured configuration that dips below the 60 FPS threshold, so users targeting 4K should avoid Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT combination ranks 757th out of 1681 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the 45th percentile of all systems. This ranking is notable given the CPU's modest 4-core configuration; the GPU's high percentile ranking (73rd among all GPUs) is doing the heavy lifting. The RX 7700 XT's average benchmark score of 30097 puts it nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, which scores 30109 (a 0% delta), and slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 570 at 30158 (a -0.2% delta).

The combo's mid-pack ranking reflects a system that is well-matched for this game but not exceptional. Systems with higher-ranked CPUs would likely push this GPU further at 1080p, where the CPU bottleneck is evident. However, the 757th rank out of 1681 means the majority of tested systems (924) are slower, which is a strong result for a budget-oriented processor. The ranking also indicates that Doom is not particularly demanding on the CPU, as the i3-12100F's 72nd percentile CPU score translates to a 45th percentile combo ranking, suggesting the GPU is the primary driver of overall performance.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Doom at 4K 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only with settings at High or below. The measured 4K High average is 65.4 FPS, while 4K Ultra drops to 52.5 FPS, below the 60 FPS target.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: The data shows 1440p High provides 124.2 FPS, offering the best combination of high frame rate and visual quality without hitting the CPU bottleneck seen at 1080p.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: At 1080p, the CPU is the bottleneck, capping FPS at 261.2 even on Low settings. At 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, with performance scaling closely with resolution increases.

Q: How does the RX 7700 XT compare to its nearest rival in this game?

A: The RX 7700 XT's average benchmark score of 30097 is nearly identical to the RTX 5060's 30109, with a 0% delta, indicating comparable performance in synthetic tests.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p Ultra?

A: The measured 1440p Ultra average is 100.1 FPS, which is above the 100 FPS threshold and suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: Does the i3-12100F hold back the GPU significantly?

A: Yes, at 1080p. The CPU's 4-core design limits performance, as evidenced by the 1080p Low result of 261.2 FPS, which is far below what the GPU alone could achieve.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset for this combo in Doom is as follows. At 1920x1080, Low settings produce 261.2 FPS, Medium produces 230 FPS, High produces 191 FPS, and Ultra produces 158.3 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the results are 171.8 FPS at Low, 147.4 FPS at Medium, 124.2 FPS at High, and 100.1 FPS at Ultra. At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop to 92.7 FPS at Low, 81.9 FPS at Medium, 65.4 FPS at High, and 52.5 FPS at Ultra.

These numbers reveal a consistent pattern: the transition from Low to Ultra costs roughly 39-40% of performance at each resolution. At 1080p, the drop is 102.9 FPS (261.2 to 158.3), at 1440p it is 71.7 FPS (171.8 to 100.1), and at 4K it is 40.2 FPS (92.7 to 52.5). The decreasing absolute difference at higher resolutions confirms the GPU's growing dominance in frame time calculations. All measured FPS values are averages, with no minimum or maximum values recorded in the dataset.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its RDNA 3.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, includes 3456 shading units and 54 ray-tracing cores. The GPU's boost clock of 2544 MHz and game clock of 2171 MHz drive its performance, with a base clock of 1435 MHz. The card's 35.17 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 549.5 GTexel/s texture rate are substantial, placing it in the 73rd percentile among all GPUs.

The GPU's benchmark scores support its strong showing in Doom. Its Passmark G3D score of 22547 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3316 indicate robust DirectX 12 performance, which aligns with Doom's rendering requirements. The RX 7700 XT's nearest rival, the RTX 5060, scores 30109 on average, a 0% delta, while the RX 570 scores 30158, a -0.2% delta, showing the 7700 XT is closely matched with these alternatives.

In Doom, the GPU's role is most pronounced at 4K, where its memory bandwidth and pixel rate become critical. The 4K Low result of 92.7 FPS demonstrates the card's capacity to handle high pixel counts when settings are reduced, while the 4K Ultra result of 52.5 FPS shows the limits of its 12 GB memory and 192-bit bus under maximum load. The GPU's 244.2 GPixel/s pixel rate is the key metric at 4K, determining how quickly it can fill the screen, and the data shows it is sufficient for playable frame rates at High settings but not at Ultra.