Doom

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a stark illustration of GPU-bound performance in a modern title. In Doom, this combination ranks 304th out of 3,712 tested combos, placing it in the top 8.2% of all configurations. That ranking is heavily influenced by the graphics card, as the data indicates the RTX 4080 is doing the heavy lifting at higher resolutions, while the i3-12100F proves sufficient to keep frame rates exceptionally high at 1080p, though it appears to become a limiting factor at the lowest settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s overall position of 304 out of 3,712 tested configurations is a strong result, but it is not a reflection of balanced hardware. The ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU’s performance ceiling. The RTX 4080 sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54,247, placing it just 0.1% ahead of the RTX 4080 SUPER in the nearest rival data. This is a top-tier graphics card by any measure.

In contrast, the Intel Core i3-12100F is a more modest component, sitting in the 68th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 13,494. Its closest rivals, such as the Intel Core 3 N355 and Intel Core i5-9500, are separated by less than 0.7%, indicating that the i3-12100F is positioned firmly in the mid-range of processor performance. The data shows that this combination leverages an extremely powerful GPU to overcome the CPU’s relative weaknesses, which is why the combo ranks so highly despite the processor’s lower standing. The result is a system that excels in GPU-intensive scenarios but may not scale perfectly in CPU-limited ones.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this configuration, and its specifications explain why the combo performs so well in Doom. The card features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. This large memory pool and high bandwidth are critical for handling high-resolution textures and complex scenes without bottlenecking.

The GPU’s clock speeds are also a significant factor. With a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz, the RTX 4080 can sustain high performance across long gaming sessions. The memory runs at an effective speed of 22.4 Gbps, which is a key contributor to the card’s ability to maintain high frame rates. The architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, houses 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units, along with 76 ray tracing cores and 304 tensor cores.

In the context of Doom’s measured results, the GPU’s role is clear. At 4K Ultra settings, the combo still manages an average of 85 FPS, a figure that is only possible with a graphics card of this caliber. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS ensures that even the most demanding graphical presets remain playable. The data suggests that the RTX 4080 is the primary driver of the frame rates seen in this test, with the CPU providing just enough support to avoid severe stuttering.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user’s priority: maximum frame rate or maximum visual fidelity. For competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, the Low preset at 1080p delivers an average of 360 FPS, which is an exceptional result. However, this setting is likely to be CPU-limited, as the i3-12100F may struggle to push beyond this figure even with a more powerful GPU.

For a balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is a strong choice. It yields an average of 226 FPS, with a minimum of 192 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in intense action sequences. This represents a 45.8% increase in frame rate over the High preset at the same resolution, which averages 191 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p appears to be the sweet spot, offering a significant visual upgrade over Low settings while maintaining a frame rate that exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end monitors.

If visual fidelity is the primary concern, the Ultra preset at 4K is viable, averaging 85 FPS. While this is below the 100 FPS threshold that some players prefer, it is still a playable experience for a single-player title like Doom. The data shows that the High preset at 4K is a better compromise, averaging 104 FPS, which is a 22.4% improvement over Ultra. Ultimately, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best experience per the measured rows, providing a high frame rate with solid graphical details.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance scaling across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high across all presets. The Low setting averages 360 FPS, while Medium averages 343 FPS, with a minimum of 292 FPS and a maximum of 395 FPS. High settings average 295 FPS, and even Ultra settings manage an average of 241 FPS. These figures indicate that at 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-limited, as the RTX 4080 is capable of far higher frame rates, but the i3-12100F cannot feed it enough data to exceed these numbers.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a more pronounced scaling with settings. Low averages 260 FPS, Medium averages 226 FPS (minimum 192, maximum 260), High averages 191 FPS, and Ultra averages 156 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 40.0%, showing a more significant impact from graphical settings compared to 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings average 141 FPS, Medium averages 123 FPS (minimum 104, maximum 141), High averages 104 FPS, and Ultra averages 85 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 39.7% drop in performance. The data shows that even at 4K, the RTX 4080 is powerful enough to deliver high frame rates, but the CPU’s influence is greatly reduced, allowing the GPU to showcase its full potential. The minimum FPS figures at Medium settings across all resolutions (292 at 1080p, 192 at 1440p, 104 at 4K) suggest that frame pacing remains consistent, with no severe drops below the average.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K provides insight into which component is limiting performance. At 1080p with Medium settings, the combo averages 343 FPS. When moving to 1440p, the average drops to 226 FPS, a 34.1% decrease. Going from 1440p to 4K, the average drops further to 123 FPS, a 45.6% decrease. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 64.1%, from 343 FPS to 123 FPS.

This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound system. At 1080p, the frame rate is capped by the CPU’s ability to process draw calls and game logic. The 4-core, 8-thread i3-12100F, with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, reaches its limit around 360 FPS at Low settings. As resolution increases, the GPU workload grows, and the CPU becomes less of a factor. The RTX 4080, with its 16 GB of VRAM and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth, is well-suited to handle the increased pixel count, but it still shows a significant performance drop as resolution scales.

The data indicates that the limiting component shifts from the CPU at 1080p to the GPU at 4K. At 1080p, the frame rates are nearly identical between Low and Medium settings (360 vs 343 FPS), suggesting that the CPU is the bottleneck. At 4K, the gap between Low and Ultra is 39.7%, indicating that the GPU is fully engaged and settings have a much larger impact. This is a classic sign of a system where the GPU is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions, while the CPU holds it back at lower ones.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo better suited for 1080p or 4K gaming in Doom?

A: The data shows that the combo excels at both, but for different reasons. At 1080p, it achieves an average of 343 FPS on Medium settings, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate displays. At 4K, it still manages an average of 104 FPS on High settings, indicating it is a capable 4K performer, though the frame rate is significantly lower than at 1080p.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest rival in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54,247, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER’s score of 54,209. It also outperforms the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X, which scores 54,828, but that is 1.1% lower than the RTX 4080’s score.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate achieved with this combo in the measured data?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 360 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The maximum FPS recorded in any test is 395, seen at 1080p with Medium settings.

Q: Does the i3-12100F bottleneck the RTX 4080 at any resolution?

A: Yes, the data suggests a CPU bottleneck at 1080p. The frame rate difference between Low and Medium settings at 1080p is only 4.7% (360 vs 343 FPS), which is minimal compared to the 40.0% difference at 1440p. This indicates the CPU is limiting performance at the lower resolution.

Q: What is the best setting for a smooth 1440p experience?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 provides an average of 226 FPS with a minimum of 192 FPS. This ensures that frame rates stay above the 144 Hz refresh rate common in modern monitors, offering a smooth and responsive experience.

Q: How does the combo’s ranking in Doom compare to its overall hardware percentiles?

A: The combo ranks 304th out of 3,712 tested configurations, which places it in the top 8.2% of all combos. The GPU is in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 68th percentile. This suggests the combo’s high ranking is largely due to the GPU’s exceptional performance.