Doom

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a striking case study in system balance for the 2016 FPS classic Doom. This combination produces a wide spread of performance across resolutions and settings, with the data revealing a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics component in most scenarios, while the processor demonstrates ample headroom. The measured frame rates, ranging from a playable 96 FPS at 1080p Low to a challenging 20 FPS at 4K Ultra, indicate that the user’s experience will be defined almost entirely by their resolution and graphics preset choices, with the CPU rarely becoming the primary bottleneck.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Doom with this hardware for a high frame rate?*

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system consistently delivers high frame rates. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 96, and even at High settings, it maintains an average of 71 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops the average to 62 FPS on Low, and 3840x2160 is only playable at 34 FPS on the lowest settings.

Q: Is the Intel Core i3-12100F or the Intel Arc B370 the limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary bottleneck. At 1080p, where the CPU load is typically highest, the frame rates scale significantly with graphics settings (from 96 FPS at Low to 58 FPS at Ultra), a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU's strong multi-threaded scores, such as 11,860 in Cinebench R23, suggest it is not the limiting component in a 2016 title like Doom.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals in raw graphics performance?

A: The Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This places it in a performance tier with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which scores 1186, and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M, which scores 1192. The data shows it is essentially on par with these older components, with a performance difference of less than 1% in either direction.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: The measured FPS data shows a significant gap between the two presets at 2560x1440. The Low preset achieves an average of 62 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to an average of 37 FPS. This represents a 25 FPS difference, or roughly a 40% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

Q: With a combo rank of 2696 out of 2930, how does this system perform relative to other tested combinations?

A: The combo rank of 2696 out of 2930 places this system in the bottom 8% of all tested hardware combinations for Doom. This suggests that while it can run the game, the Intel Arc B370's performance level is lower than the vast majority of other graphics cards tested in the database, making it a below-average performer for this specific title.

Q: Does the CPU's performance vary significantly between single-threaded and multi-threaded tasks?

A: Yes, the benchmark data shows a notable difference. The Intel Core i3-12100F achieves a single-core score of 1,674 in Cinebench R23, but its multi-core score jumps to 11,860. The 3DMark results echo this, with a single-thread score of 893 and a max-thread score of 4,023. This indicates the processor is capable of scaling well with multi-threaded workloads.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the central figure in this system's Doom performance, and the data paints a clear picture of its capabilities. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,184 places it at the 5th percentile of all GPUs, which is a very low standing. The nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, with a score of 1,186, and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, with a score of 1,190. These are not modern high-performance parts, and the Arc B370's position alongside them suggests it is an entry-level graphics solution. The architecture is Xe3-LPG on a 3 nm process, with 1,280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 render output units. These specifications are relatively modest, which is consistent with its low benchmark percentile.

The GPU's memory configuration is unusual, as it relies on "System Shared" memory. The memory type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent," meaning the graphics performance is directly tied to the system's main RAM and memory controller. This is a critical detail, as it can introduce performance variability depending on the rest of the system configuration. The GPU's clocks are a 300 MHz base and a 2,400 MHz boost, which is a substantial boost range. The raw compute figures are 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 and 12.29 TFLOPS for FP16, which are not particularly high, further reinforcing its entry-level status.

In the context of Doom, the GPU's role is decisive. The measured frame rates show a consistent pattern: as the resolution and settings increase, the average FPS drops sharply. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 96 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 20 FPS. This pattern is directly attributable to the GPU's limited fill rate and shading power. The game is demanding enough to expose the Arc B370's weaknesses, and the data indicates that users will need to carefully manage settings to achieve a smooth experience. The GPU's TDP is 25 W, and it is an integrated graphics processor (IGP), which explains its performance limitations. The data does not include a launch MSRP, so no pricing information is available for this component.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior of this system in Doom is a textbook demonstration of GPU-bound performance. The data reveals a clear and consistent drop in frame rates as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the Low settings preset, the average FPS goes from 96 at 1080p, to 62 at 1440p, and finally to 34 at 4K. This represents a 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 45% drop from 1440p to 4K. The pattern is similar across all presets. For instance, on High settings, the average FPS is 71 at 1080p, 46 at 1440p, and 25 at 4K.

This sharp decline with increasing resolution is a strong indicator that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component. The number of pixels being rendered increases exponentially from 1080p (approximately 2 million) to 4K (over 8 million), and the GPU's fixed amount of shading units and ROPs must work much harder to fill those pixels. The fact that the FPS drops so dramatically suggests that the GPU is running out of pixel throughput and memory bandwidth, which is consistent with its "System Shared" memory configuration. The CPU, which is responsible for preparing frames, is not the bottleneck here, as the scaling pattern is purely a function of GPU load.

The data also shows that the relative performance gap between settings widens at lower resolutions. At 1080p, there is a 38 FPS difference between Low (96 FPS) and Ultra (58 FPS). At 1440p, the gap is 25 FPS (62 vs 37). At 4K, the gap narrows to 14 FPS (34 vs 20). This is because at higher resolutions, the GPU is so overwhelmed that the difference between settings has a smaller absolute impact on the frame rate. The results indicate that for a consistent 60 FPS experience, users are limited to 1080p with Low or Medium settings, or 1440p with Low settings. The 4K resolution is only playable at the lowest settings, and even then, the 34 FPS average is below the ideal smoothness threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across a matrix of resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is most capable. With Low settings, it averages 96 FPS. The Medium preset drops the average to 84 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS. High settings yield an average of 71 FPS, and the Ultra preset brings the average down to 58 FPS. This is the only resolution where the system can consistently exceed 60 FPS on multiple presets, making it the target for a smooth gaming experience.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance takes a significant hit. The Low preset averages 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS. The High preset drops to an average of 46 FPS, and the Ultra preset further lowers the average to 37 FPS. This resolution is suitable for playable frame rates only on the Low preset, with the Medium preset being borderline and requiring some tolerance for frame rate dips.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly out of its depth. The Low preset averages 34 FPS, which is playable but far from smooth. The Medium preset averages 29 FPS, with a minimum of 25 FPS and a maximum of 34 FPS. The High preset averages 25 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to an average of 20 FPS. These frame rates are generally considered too low for a fast-paced FPS like Doom, as they can lead to a less responsive and more visually stuttery experience. The data shows that 4K gaming is not a realistic option for this combo, even with the most aggressive settings reductions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor from the Alder Lake generation, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.30 GHz, and it boosts to 4.30 GHz. The CPU's benchmark scores are respectable for its class. In Cinebench R23, it scores 1,674 in single-core and 11,860 in multi-core. The Geekbench scores are 1,932 single-core and 7,252 multi-core. The 3DMark tests show a single-thread score of 893 and a max-thread score of 4,023. These scores indicate a processor that is well-suited for gaming, with strong single-thread performance that is often critical for older game engines.

In the context of Doom, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The game, released in 2016, is known to scale well with multi-core processors, but the i3-12100F's 4 cores and 8 threads are likely sufficient to feed the Arc B370. The evidence for this is in the FPS scaling. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates that are more consistent across different resolutions, as the CPU's workload per frame doesn't change significantly with resolution. Instead, the FPS drops dramatically at higher resolutions, which is the signature of GPU limitation.

The CPU's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core 3 N355, with a score of 13,492 and a 0% delta, and the Intel Core i5-9500, with a score of 13,452 and a 0.3% delta. The i3-12100F's average benchmark score is 13,494, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. This is a strong showing for a budget processor. The cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, but the actual memory bandwidth is not listed in the data. The TDP is 58 W, and the launch MSRP is $97, which is a factual data point that can be stated once.

The data suggests that the CPU is not holding back the system in Doom. The benchmark results indicate that the i3-12100F has more than enough computational power to handle the game's logic, physics, and draw calls. The primary constraint is the GPU's ability to render the frames. Users considering this CPU for gaming should be aware that its performance headroom is significant, and any future GPU upgrade would likely result in a substantial performance boost in Doom.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend heavily on the user's target resolution and preference for frame rate versus visual quality. For the best overall experience, the data points to 1920x1080 as the resolution of choice, as it offers the most flexibility. At 1080p, the Low preset provides an average of 96 FPS, which is excellent for a fast-paced FPS. The Medium preset offers a solid middle ground with an average of 84 FPS, and the High preset still manages a respectable 71 FPS. For users who prioritize a high and consistent frame rate, the Low or Medium presets at 1080p are the strongest recommendations.

For those who want to play at 2560x1440, the options are more limited. The Low preset is the only setting that consistently delivers an average above 60 FPS, with a score of 62 FPS. This is the recommended choice for 1440p gaming, as it provides a playable experience. The Medium preset drops to 54 FPS, which may be acceptable for some, but the frame dips to 46 FPS could be noticeable during intense action. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended at 1440p, as their averages of 46 and 37 FPS, respectively, are below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the data suggests that the system is not capable of providing a satisfactory gaming experience. The Low preset averages 34 FPS, which is below the generally accepted 60 FPS standard for a responsive FPS. While the game is technically playable, the low frame rate can impact responsiveness and visual fluidity. The other presets have even lower averages, making them poor choices. Therefore, the recommendation is to avoid 4K resolution with this combo, unless the user is willing to accept a significant compromise in performance. The best experience per the measured rows is clearly at 1080p with Low or Medium settings, where the system can deliver high frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and the Intel Arc B370 ranks 2,696 out of 2,930 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the bottom 8% of all systems in the database, indicating that this is a low-performing configuration for this game. The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's weak performance, as the CPU's percentile rank is much higher. The i3-12100F is in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, which is a solid mid-range position. In contrast, the Arc B370 is in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, which is a very low standing. The combo rank reflects this imbalance.

The GPU's nearest rivals are all older, lower-power parts. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, the ATI Radeon HD 5770, and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M all have 3DMark scores within 1% of the Arc B370. This shows that the Arc B370's performance level is comparable to graphics hardware from a much older generation. The data implies that for Doom, the Arc B370 is a significant performance bottleneck. The CPU, on the other hand, has a performance level comparable to the Intel Core 3 N355 and the Intel Core i5-9500, which are more modern and capable processors.

The low combo rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations. While the CPU is capable of handling the game, the GPU cannot render it at high frame rates, especially at higher resolutions. The data shows that the system's overall performance is dragged down by the graphics component. Users looking at this combo should understand that its rank reflects a system that is primarily constrained by its GPU, and that the CPU has headroom for future upgrades. The benchmark results indicate that the system is suitable for 1080p gaming at lower settings, but it will struggle at higher resolutions and settings, as reflected in its low overall rank.