Minimum

The Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 pairing is a classic entry-level 1080p setup, but in Minimum it lands at the very bottom of the performance table. The data shows a combo rank of 1683 out of 1733 tested configurations, placing it in the bottom 3% of all pairings. This is not a high-refresh-rate machine; it is a playable-at-1080p build that demands careful settings management to stay smooth.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Minimum at 1920x1080?*

A: Yes, but only at lower presets. The measured data shows 79.8 FPS at Low, 60 FPS at Medium, and 52.1 FPS at High. Ultra drops to 37.8 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a third-person shooter.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: 1920x1080 is the only practical choice. At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 27.8 (Ultra) to 52.3 (Low). At 3840x2160, every preset falls below 26 FPS, with Ultra at just 15.8 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1650 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The GTX 1650 has an average benchmark score of 8713. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile, scores 8746 (0.4% higher). The AMD Radeon 550X scores 8749 (0.4% higher), while the Quadro P2200 scores 8671 (0.5% lower).

Q: Is the Core i3-12100F a bottleneck here?

A: The CPU is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The i3-12100F scores 11912 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, which is strong for a 4-core part. The data indicates the GTX 1650's 4 GB VRAM and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth are the primary constraints, especially at 4K.

Q: What settings should I use for a locked 60 FPS experience?

A: At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers exactly 60 FPS on average. The Low preset provides headroom at 79.8 FPS, while High drops to 52.1 FPS. For consistent 60 FPS, Medium is the clear choice.

Q: How much faster is Low vs Ultra at 1080p?

A: Low produces 79.8 FPS, which is 42 FPS higher than Ultra's 37.8 FPS. That is a 111% performance increase, showing that preset selection matters more than resolution scaling for this GPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on Alder Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with 12 MB of shared L3 cache. This CPU sits in the 72nd percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 13516.

In Minimum, the CPU's role is to feed frames without becoming a bottleneck. The data shows that at 1920x1080 Low, the combo hits 79.8 FPS, which suggests the i3-12100F is capable of pushing well beyond that if the GPU allowed. Its single-thread performance is strong: 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and Geekbench single-core of 2224. The 4-core design is sufficient for this 2014 title, as it doesn't heavily utilize multi-threading in the measured results.

Comparing to rivals, the i3-12100F is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (0.1% lower average score) and the Intel Core i7-1250U (0.4% higher). It is 1.8% faster than the Intel Core i7-7700K. This means the CPU is not the weak link; it is a modern budget part that outperforms several older high-end chips.

The 58W TDP and lack of integrated graphics mean it relies entirely on the discrete GPU. The data confirms this is a balanced pairing for 1080p, but the CPU's capabilities are rarely tested because the GTX 1650 caps out first.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the limiting factor in this combo. It has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU runs at a base clock of 1485 MHz and boosts to 1665 MHz, with 896 shading units. It scores 7880 in Passmark G3D, placing it in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs.

In Minimum, the GPU's memory capacity is the primary constraint. At 3840x2160, the frame rates collapse: 25.6 FPS at Low and 15.8 FPS at Ultra. This is typical of a 4 GB card struggling with texture memory at high resolutions. The 128.1 GB/s bandwidth is also insufficient for 4K workloads, as shown by the steep drop from 1080p to 1440p.

The GTX 1650's closest rival, the RTX 3050 A Mobile, is only 0.4% faster. The AMD Radeon 550X is also 0.4% faster, while the Quadro P2200 is 0.5% slower. These margins are negligible, meaning the GTX 1650 is effectively average for its class. The GPU's 75W TDP and lack of power connectors make it easy to install, but the data shows it is best suited for 1080p gaming.

The DirectX 12 score of 35 in Passmark is low, but Minimum is a 2014 title that likely uses older APIs. The GPU's Vulkan 1.4 support is more relevant for modern games, but the measured FPS indicates the card is not future-proof for high resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

This combo ranks 1683 out of 1733 tested configurations, placing it in the bottom 3% of all pairings. This is a very low position, driven almost entirely by the GPU's limitations. The CPU is not the issue; the i3-12100F's average benchmark score of 13516 is respectable, but the GTX 1650's 8713 average score drags the overall performance down.

The rank suggests that most other tested combos deliver higher frame rates in Minimum. The data shows that even at 1080p Low, this combo only reaches 79.8 FPS, which is below what many modern entry-level GPUs achieve. The combo's performance is consistent with a budget 1080p setup from a few years ago, not a current-generation machine.

Relative to the CPU's rivals, the i3-12100F is competitive, but the GPU's rivals are all within 0.5% of each other. This means the combo's poor rank is not due to an unusually weak component but rather the inherent limits of pairing a 4-core CPU with a 4 GB GPU in a modern benchmark database.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data points to a clear best setting: 1920x1080 Medium at 60 FPS. This is the only preset that hits the 60 FPS target exactly, providing a smooth experience for a third-person shooter. The Low preset offers extra headroom at 79.8 FPS, which is useful for competitive play, but it sacrifices visual fidelity.

For players who prioritize visuals, 1920x1080 High at 52.1 FPS is acceptable, but it is below the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra at 37.8 FPS is not recommended, as the frame rate drops below 40 FPS, which can feel stuttery in action sequences.

At 2560x1440, the best option is Low at 52.3 FPS, but this is only marginally better than 1080p High. The 4K resolution is not viable; all presets fall below 26 FPS. The data suggests sticking to 1080p and adjusting presets based on whether you prefer smoothness or fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: 79.8 FPS — the fastest preset, ideal for maximum responsiveness.
• Medium: 60 FPS — the exact 60 FPS target, best balance.
• High: 52.1 FPS — playable but below the 60 FPS line.
• Ultra: 37.8 FPS — the slowest 1080p preset, not recommended.

2560x1440:

• Low: 52.3 FPS — the only 1440p preset above 50 FPS.
• Medium: 39.6 FPS — noticeably slower than 1080p Medium.
• High: 34.8 FPS — marginal for a shooter.
• Ultra: 27.8 FPS — approaching unplayable.

3840x2160:

• Low: 25.6 FPS — the best 4K result, still too slow.
• Medium: 24.9 FPS — slightly worse than Low.
• High: 17.5 FPS — slideshow territory.
• Ultra: 15.8 FPS — the worst measured result.

The data shows a clear pattern: resolution scaling is poor, with 4K performance roughly one-third of 1080p performance at the same preset. The GTX 1650's 4 GB VRAM is the bottleneck, as even Low settings at 4K fail to maintain playable frame rates. For this combo, 1080p Medium is the definitive recommendation.