Doom

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is a study in asymmetry. This is a 4-core/8-thread processor from the Alder Lake generation paired with a flagship-tier Ada Lovelace GPU that sits in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. The data shows a combo that is undeniably fast, but the way its performance scales across resolutions reveals a system that shifts its bottleneck character dramatically depending on the workload. This analysis covers how this specific pairing behaves in Doom.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo in Doom shows a textbook case of GPU-bound behavior at higher resolutions, but the transition points reveal the CPU's influence. At 1920x1080, the performance ceiling is enormous. With Low settings, the combo hits an average of 363 FPS. This is a frame rate so high that it is almost certainly limited by the CPU's single-thread performance rather than the GPU's ability to render. The i3-12100F has a solid single-thread score of 893 in 3dmark, but at this resolution, the RTX 4080 SUPER is essentially idle, waiting for the CPU to feed it instructions.

As you scale up to 2560x1440, the load shifts. The average FPS at Low settings drops from 363 to 261, a significant 28% reduction. This indicates that the GPU is starting to do more meaningful work, but the CPU is still a factor. Moving to 3840x2160 with Low settings yields 140.4 FPS. This is a massive drop from the 1440p figure, showing that the 4K resolution is now heavily taxing the GPU. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings results in a 61% performance decrease, which is a strong indicator that the system moves from a CPU-bound state to a firmly GPU-bound state.

The story changes when looking at the Ultra preset. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 240.5 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 158 FPS. At 4K Ultra, it falls to 85 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K on Ultra (a 46% drop) is less severe than the drop from 1080p to 1440p on Low (a 28% drop) in percentage terms, but the absolute numbers are more telling. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the RTX 4080 SUPER is working hard, and the i3-12100F is no longer the primary constraint. The bottleneck is firmly on the GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific configuration of CPU and GPU achieves a combo rank of 117 out of 1681 tested combinations in Doom. This places it in the top 7% of all tested combos, which is an excellent result. However, the ranking is a single data point. It's important to contextualize this by looking at the components individually. The CPU's average benchmark score of 13516 puts it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, and it trades blows with the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, which has a deltaPct of -0.1%. This means the i3-12100F is essentially neck-and-neck with a high-end workstation CPU in average synthetic benchmarks, which confirms the efficiency of the Alder Lake architecture.

The GPU is even more impressive in relative terms. Its average benchmark score of 53610 places it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. It is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT and 2.9% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti. This level of GPU performance is what allows the combo to achieve such a high rank despite the modest CPU. The data suggests that in a game like Doom, which is known for being well-optimized and not heavily multi-threaded, the 4-core CPU is sufficient to keep the GPU fed at most settings, allowing the combo to punch well above its weight in the overall rankings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s. This memory configuration is critical for the high-resolution performance seen in the data. At 4K, the game requires substantial memory bandwidth, and the 736.3 GB/s figure ensures that the GPU is not starved for data. The GPU's boost clock of 2550 MHz and its 10240 shading units are the primary drivers of the raw FPS numbers.

In Doom, the GPU's role is clear. At 1080p, its power is largely untapped, as evidenced by the 363 FPS Low result. The performance is so high that the CPU becomes the limiting factor. But at 4K, the GPU's architecture comes to the forefront. The difference between 4K Low (140.4 FPS) and 4K Ultra (85 FPS) is a 39% reduction in performance. This is a direct result of the increased shading, texture, and memory pressure from the Ultra preset. The GPU's 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is being utilized to its fullest at this resolution, and the data shows a typical scaling curve for a high-end graphics card when the CPU is not in the way.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the combo's behavior across all settings and resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the combo is exceptionally fast. The average FPS is 363 on Low, 342.3 on Medium, 294.3 on High, and 240.5 on Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra is 122.5 FPS, which shows that even at 1080p, the Ultra preset introduces enough graphical complexity to bring the average down significantly. The frame rates are so high that they are beyond the refresh rate of most monitors, so the practical experience will be limited by the display.

At 2560x1440, performance remains very high but starts to show the GPU's workload. Low yields 261 FPS, Medium gives 222.9 FPS, High produces 187.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 158 FPS. The scaling here is more linear than at 1080p, suggesting that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck. The difference between Low and Ultra is 103 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is fully engaged. Low settings produce an average of 140.4 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium yields 123.6 FPS, High drops to 102.9 FPS, and Ultra brings the average down to 85 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is a 55.4 FPS drop, which is the smallest absolute drop of any resolution, confirming that the GPU is now the sole limiting factor. The jump from High (102.9 FPS) to Ultra (85 FPS) is a 17.9 FPS penalty for the highest preset, a considerable cost.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, the combo achieves an average of 85 FPS on Ultra settings and 102.9 FPS on High settings. Both are well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Why is the FPS so high at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the CPU is the limiting factor. The Intel Core i3-12100F's single-thread performance (893 in 3dmark) is the ceiling, but it's a high ceiling. The RTX 4080 SUPER is so powerful that it's not fully utilized, leading to frame rates like 363 FPS on Low.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13516. It is effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (deltaPct -0.1%) and is 1.8% ahead of the Intel Core i7-7700K.

Q: How does the GPU compare to the competition?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER's average benchmark score is 53610. It is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT and 2.9% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti.

Q: What is the biggest performance drop between settings?

A: At 4K, moving from High (102.9 FPS) to Ultra (85 FPS) results in a 17.9 FPS loss. At 1440p, the drop from High to Ultra is 29.5 FPS, and at 1080p it is 53.8 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU holding back the GPU?

A: The data shows this happens only at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU is the bottleneck. However, at 1440p and especially 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the combo scales as expected for a high-end graphics card.

Settings Recommendations

The data suggests that the optimal experience depends entirely on your target resolution and refresh rate. For 4K gaming, the High preset is the sweet spot. It delivers an average of 102.9 FPS, which is a 17.9 FPS improvement over Ultra while likely being visually indistinguishable in fast-paced action. The Ultra preset at 85 FPS is still smooth, but the cost is significant.

For 1440p, the High preset at 187.5 FPS is an excellent choice for high-refresh-rate monitors. If you have a 240Hz display, the Medium preset at 222.9 FPS will get you closer to that target. Ultra at 158 FPS is also a strong option if you prioritize visual fidelity over maximum frame rate.

For 1080p, all presets are viable. The Ultra preset at 240.5 FPS is still blisteringly fast and will saturate most high-refresh-rate displays. However, if you are chasing the absolute maximum frame rate for a 360Hz monitor, the Low preset at 363 FPS is the only way to get close. In most cases, the Ultra preset at 1080p offers the best balance of image quality and performance, as the 240.5 FPS average is far beyond what most monitors can display.