Downfall

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor from the Alder Lake-S architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with a TDP of 58 W. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration places it at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 13516.

Looking at the benchmark data, the i3-12100F shows strong single-thread performance with a 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1681. Its multi-threaded capabilities are also respectable, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11912 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 7413. The processor's 3DMark scores scale predictably with thread count: 1659 for 2 threads, 2859 for 4 threads, 4026 for 8 threads, and 4051 for 16 threads, indicating that the 8 threads are fully utilized before hitting diminishing returns.

In the context of Downfall, a horror title from 2016, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic calculations. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 133.5 FPS, which suggests the CPU is capable of delivering high frame rates when the GPU is not the bottleneck. However, as settings increase to Ultra at 1080p, the average FPS drops to 58.7, indicating that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher graphical loads. The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX with a deltaPct of -0.1%, the Intel Core i7-1250U at 0.4%, the Intel Core i3-10105 at 0.6%, and the Intel Core i7-7700K at 1.8%. These margins are narrow, showing that the i3-12100F performs competitively within its segment.

FAQ

Q: How does the Core i3-12100F perform relative to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13516, placing it nearly even with the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (13534, deltaPct -0.1%) and slightly ahead of the Intel Core i7-1250U (13462, deltaPct 0.4%), the Intel Core i3-10105 (13430, deltaPct 0.6%), and the Intel Core i7-7700K (13280, deltaPct 1.8%). The performance differences are minimal, all within 1.8% of each other.

Q: What FPS can this combo achieve at 1080p across different settings?

A: At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS ranges from 133.5 on Low settings, down to 109 on Medium, 91.8 on High, and 58.7 on Ultra. This shows a clear progression where each higher setting tier imposes a significant performance cost.

Q: Is the 4 GB VRAM of the RTX 3050 sufficient for Downfall at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the combo achieves 38.1 FPS on High settings, 50.8 on Medium, and 58.3 on Low. However, Ultra settings at 4K drop to 25.2 FPS, suggesting that the combination of 4 GB VRAM and the GPU's compute capability struggles with the highest quality settings at that resolution.

Q: What does the combo's rank among tested combinations indicate?

A: The combo ranks 1584 out of 1741 tested combinations in Downfall, placing it in the lower portion of the database. This rank reflects the overall performance ceiling of pairing a 4-core CPU with an entry-level GPU in this particular game.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance?

A: The i3-12100F scores 893 in 3DMark single-thread and 1681 in Cinebench R23 single-core, while multi-thread scores reach 4051 in 3DMark max threads and 11912 in Cinebench R23 multi-core. The ratio indicates that the 8 threads provide roughly 2.4x the single-thread throughput in Cinebench R23, which is typical for a 4-core/8-thread design.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the CPU, and how does it relate to its performance class?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has a launch MSRP of $97. This positions it as an entry-level desktop processor, and its benchmark scores confirm that it delivers performance in line with that segment, sitting at the 72nd percentile of all CPUs.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling for this combo. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 133.5. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings drops the frame rate to 93.4, a reduction of approximately 30%. At 3840x2160, Low settings yield 58.3 FPS, which is another 37% drop from 1440p. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component, as the CPU's performance ceiling is not being reached at lower resolutions.

For High settings, the progression is 91.8 FPS at 1080p, 63.5 FPS at 1440p, and 38.1 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is about 31%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is about 40%. This steeper decline at higher resolutions reinforces the GPU-bound nature of the workload. Medium settings follow a similar trajectory: 109 FPS at 1080p, 77.8 FPS at 1440p, and 50.8 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings show the most dramatic falloff, starting at 58.7 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 39.3 FPS at 1440p, and reaching just 25.2 FPS at 4K.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU still has headroom to push higher frame rates, but the RTX 3050's rendering capabilities cap the output. At 4K, the GPU is heavily taxed, as evidenced by the fact that even Low settings only reach 58.3 FPS. The 4 GB VRAM capacity likely contributes to this limitation, as the higher resolution and quality settings demand more memory bandwidth and capacity than the card can efficiently provide. Overall, the resolution scaling analysis points to the GPU as the constraining factor across all settings, with the CPU providing sufficient throughput to avoid becoming a bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB ranks 1584 out of 1741 tested combinations in Downfall. This places it in the bottom 9% of all tested combos, indicating that this pairing is not well-suited for achieving high performance in this particular game. The rank reflects the combined limitations of the entry-level CPU and the 4 GB variant of the RTX 3050.

To contextualize this ranking, the CPU alone sits at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, which is a respectable position. However, the GPU's percentile ranking is 50th among all GPUs, and its performance characteristics are further constrained by the reduced 4 GB memory capacity compared to the standard 8 GB versions of the same chip. The combination of a mid-tier CPU with a lower-end GPU results in a system that falls short of what Downfall demands for smoother gameplay at higher settings.

The rank of 1584 out of 1741 suggests that most other tested combinations outperform this pairing. This is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows that even at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 133.5 FPS, but this drops significantly as settings and resolutions increase. Gamers seeking higher quality visuals or 4K performance would need to consider more powerful GPU options. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming at medium to high settings, where it can maintain playable frame rates, but it is not competitive with higher-tier configurations in the database.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB is built on the GA107 chip using Samsung's 8 nm process, with 8,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1545 MHz and a boost clock of 1740 MHz, with memory running at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective). It features 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s. The card has 2048 shading units, 64 TMUs, 32 ROPs, 16 RT cores, and 64 tensor cores, delivering 7.127 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. Its TDP is 90 W, and it requires a 250 W power supply.

In Downfall, the GPU's role is dominant, as the resolution scaling analysis clearly demonstrates. At 1080p, the GPU can push frame rates up to 133.5 FPS on Low settings, but the performance drops sharply as quality settings increase. The 4 GB VRAM capacity is a notable constraint, especially at 4K resolution where Ultra settings yield just 25.2 FPS. The memory bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the combination of higher resolution and texture demands likely exceeds what the card can efficiently handle.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 50th among all GPUs indicates it sits at the median of tested graphics cards. Its average benchmark score is listed as 0, which suggests no aggregated benchmark data is available for this specific variant. The card's production status is end-of-life, and its launch MSRP was 199 USD. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, making it feature-complete for modern titles, but its raw performance and memory capacity limit its applicability in demanding scenarios like 4K Ultra gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Downfall provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings tiers. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves an average of 133.5 FPS on Low settings, 109 FPS on Medium, 91.8 FPS on High, and 58.7 FPS on Ultra. These numbers indicate that 1080p gaming is viable across all settings, with even Ultra maintaining a playable frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 93.4 on Low, 77.8 on Medium, 63.5 on High, and 39.3 on Ultra. The 1440p results show that Low and Medium settings provide smooth gameplay, while High is borderline acceptable, and Ultra falls below the typical 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, the performance is more constrained: Low settings yield 58.3 FPS, Medium delivers 50.8 FPS, High drops to 38.1 FPS, and Ultra falls to 25.2 FPS. These 4K numbers indicate that only Low settings approach playability, while higher settings result in a degraded experience.

The data shows a consistent pattern where each resolution increase costs approximately 30-40% of frame rate at the same settings. The largest absolute drop occurs between 1080p Low (133.5 FPS) and 4K Ultra (25.2 FPS), representing an 81% reduction. This steep decline underscores the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions and settings. Notably, the difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution is substantial: at 1080p, the gap is 74.8 FPS; at 1440p, it is 54.1 FPS; and at 4K, it is 33.1 FPS. This narrowing gap at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes progressively more constrained by its raw compute and memory bandwidth, rather than by the specific settings applied.