Minimum

The data for Minimum with the Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT reveals a system that is heavily balanced toward GPU scaling, yet with a clear ceiling imposed by the processor at lower resolutions. The measured FPS shows a consistent pattern where performance scales dramatically with both resolution and settings, but the relationship between the two components shifts depending on the workload. This combination ranks 748th out of 1733 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database, which is a strong result for a 4-core CPU paired with a modern mid-range GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and telling. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 233.7 FPS at 1920x1080 to 78.5 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of approximately 66%. This massive decline indicates that at 1080p, the system is not GPU-bound; the RX 7700 XT is capable of far more frames than the i3-12100F can feed it, leaving performance on the table. The 233.7 FPS at 1080p Low is a strong indicator of a CPU bottleneck, as the GPU’s raw throughput is being constrained by the processor’s ability to issue draw calls and manage game logic.

Moving to 1440p, the scaling becomes more moderate. Low settings yield 152 FPS, which drops to 96.2 FPS at High, and further to 74.2 FPS at Ultra. At this resolution, the GPU begins to take on more responsibility, but the CPU still plays a significant role. The gap between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings is 81.7 FPS, which is substantial, but the gap narrows at higher presets—at Ultra, the difference is only 37.6 FPS (111.8 vs. 74.2). This suggests that as the graphical load increases, the bottleneck shifts from the CPU to the GPU, which is the expected behavior for a balanced system.

At 4K, the picture changes completely. The average FPS at High is 50.2, at Medium 62.1, and at Ultra just 42. The gap between Low (78.5) and Ultra (42) is 36.5 FPS, which is a 46.5% reduction. This is primarily a GPU-bound scenario, as the RX 7700 XT’s 12 GB of VRAM and 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth are being taxed heavily. The data implies that at 4K, the CPU is no longer the limiting factor; instead, the GPU’s shading units and memory subsystem are the primary constraints. The fact that 4K Low still delivers 78.5 FPS demonstrates that the GPU has headroom, but the gap between presets shows that the game’s visual effects at higher settings are demanding on the RDNA 3.0 architecture.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The highest average FPS is 233.7, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only measured result that exceeds 200 FPS, indicating a CPU-limited scenario at this resolution and preset.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance in synthetic tests?

A: The i3-12100F scores 1681 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 11912 in multi-core. This represents a 7.1x scaling factor between single and multi-threaded workloads, which is typical for a 4-core, 8-thread processor. The Geekbench scores show a similar pattern: 2224 single-core versus 7413 multi-core.

Q: Does the GPU outperform its nearest rival in the database?

A: The RX 7700 XT has an average benchmark score of 30097, which is 12 points lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060’s 30109, a deltaPct of 0. This means the two are statistically tied, with a difference of less than 0.1%. The AMD card is also 0.2% behind the Radeon RX 570 in average score.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings yield 152 FPS, while Ultra delivers 74.2 FPS. This is a difference of 77.8 FPS, or a 51.2% reduction in performance when moving from the lowest to the highest preset.

Q: Is the CPU’s performance percentile higher or lower than the GPU’s?

A: The i3-12100F is in the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, while the RX 7700 XT is in the 73rd percentile among all GPUs. The GPU is slightly higher, but both are closely matched in their respective categories.

Q: What is the boost clock of the CPU and how does it relate to the base clock?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. This 1.0 GHz difference allows for significant single-thread performance when needed, which is reflected in its 3dmark single-thread score of 893.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel’s 10 nm process. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache is modest by modern standards, but the 4.30 GHz boost clock helps maintain responsiveness. In Minimum, the CPU’s role is most apparent at 1080p, where the measured FPS at Low settings (233.7) far exceeds what the GPU can sustain at higher resolutions. This indicates that the CPU is the limiting factor at lower graphical loads, preventing the RX 7700 XT from reaching its full potential.

The synthetic benchmarks support this interpretation. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11912 is respectable for a quad-core, but the single-core score of 1681 is where the chip shines. This is crucial for a third-person shooter like Minimum, where game logic and physics often rely on a single thread. The 3dmark 4-thread score of 2859 versus the 8-thread score of 4026 shows that scaling beyond 4 threads yields diminishing returns, suggesting that the game may not fully utilize all 8 threads.

The data shows that the CPU’s performance is sufficient to drive high frame rates at 1080p, but it creates a bottleneck that limits the GPU’s output. At 1440p, the CPU still plays a role, as evidenced by the 152 FPS at Low settings, but the gap between Low and Ultra (77.8 FPS) indicates that the GPU is becoming more dominant. At 4K, the CPU’s influence wanes, and the GPU’s 35.17 TFLOPS of FP32 compute becomes the primary driver of performance.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which preset offers the best experience at each resolution. At 1920x1080, High settings deliver 149 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on modern monitors. Medium settings offer 179.9 FPS, but the jump from High to Medium is only 30.9 FPS, while the visual quality difference is typically more noticeable. Ultra settings at 111.8 FPS are still playable, but the 37.2 FPS drop from High makes High the sweet spot for 1080p.

At 2560x1440, High settings yield 96.2 FPS, which is close to the 100 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium settings at 116.5 FPS provide a better margin, but the difference between High and Medium is only 20.3 FPS. For a more immersive experience, High is recommended, as it maintains a solid frame rate while offering better visual fidelity. Ultra at 74.2 FPS is borderline, and Low at 152 FPS is excessive for most displays, making High the optimal choice.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. High settings produce 50.2 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. Medium at 62.1 FPS is the best balance, as it provides a smoother experience while retaining acceptable visual quality. Ultra at 42 FPS is below the 60 FPS target, and Low at 78.5 FPS sacrifices too much visual detail. Therefore, Medium is the recommended preset for 4K gaming with this combo.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT ranks 748th out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the 43rd percentile of all combinations, meaning it outperforms 43% of the tested systems. Given that the CPU is in the 72nd percentile and the GPU is in the 73rd percentile, the combo’s rank is slightly lower than either component’s individual standing, suggesting that the CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions prevents the system from achieving a higher overall rank.

The CPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, which has an average score of 13534, just 0.1% higher than the i3-12100F’s 13516. This is remarkable, as the Threadripper is a workstation-class processor with many more cores, but the i3-12100F’s strong single-thread performance keeps it competitive. The Intel Core i7-7700K is 1.8% behind, with an average score of 13280, showing that the newer i3 holds its own against older i7 parts.

On the GPU side, the RX 7700 XT’s average score of 30097 is virtually identical to the RTX 5060’s 30109, with a deltaPct of 0. This means the two cards are interchangeable in terms of raw performance, though the AMD card’s 12 GB of VRAM may offer advantages in memory-heavy scenarios. The Radeon RX 570 is 0.2% ahead, which is a statistical tie, indicating that the RX 7700 XT’s performance is well-established in the database.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 233.7 at Low to 111.8 at Ultra. The progression is: Low 233.7, Medium 179.9, High 149, and Ultra 111.8. This represents a 52.2% drop from Low to Ultra, which is significant but not unexpected for a demanding game. The difference between Medium and High is 30.9 FPS, while the difference between High and Ultra is 37.2 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset has a higher performance cost.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 152 at Low to 74.2 at Ultra. The progression is: Low 152, Medium 116.5, High 96.2, and Ultra 74.2. The drop from Low to Ultra is 51.2%, which is slightly less than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is becoming more of a factor. The gap between Medium and High is 20.3 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 22 FPS, showing a relatively even distribution of performance costs across presets.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 78.5 at Low to 42 at Ultra. The progression is: Low 78.5, Medium 62.1, High 50.2, and Ultra 42. The drop from Low to Ultra is 46.5%, which is the smallest percentage decrease across all resolutions. This confirms that at 4K, the system is firmly GPU-bound, and the CPU’s influence is minimal. The difference between Medium and High is 11.9 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 8.2 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset’s cost is relatively small at this resolution.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a Navi 32 chip, manufactured on TSMC’s 5 nm process. It features 3456 shading units, 216 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, along with 54 RT cores. The GPU’s 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for Minimum at all tested resolutions. The boost clock of 2544 MHz and game clock of 2171 MHz are high for a mid-range card, contributing to its 35.17 TFLOPS of FP32 compute.

In Minimum, the GPU’s role becomes increasingly important as resolution rises. At 1080p, the GPU is underutilized due to the CPU bottleneck, but at 1440p and 4K, its performance is the primary determinant of frame rates. The 4K Ultra result of 42 FPS indicates that the GPU is nearing its limits, while 4K Low at 78.5 FPS shows that the card has headroom when graphical effects are reduced. The VRAM usage is not directly measured, but the 12 GB capacity is unlikely to be exceeded at 4K, given the game’s age.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 73rd percentile, with a Passmark G3D score of 22547 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3316. These results are competitive with the RTX 5060, which has a deltaPct of 0. The GPU’s compute performance, as measured by Passmark GPU Compute at 12912, is also strong, indicating that the card can handle both rasterization and compute workloads effectively. Overall, the RX 7700 XT is a capable partner for the i3-12100F, though the CPU holds it back at lower resolutions.